Using Lego bags as foodbags

windjammer

I've accumulated a lot of bags (the transparent numbered bags inside boxes).  Does anyone know if it's safe to store food in them? For example, my sandwiches or to wrap up a cake?

I don't know if there would be any harmful plastic leftovers from the manufacturing process or even if extra regulations apply to foodbags compared to other plastics?

560Heliport

I'd think washing them would remove any residue. YMMV on regulations, of course, but I assume there must be some rules about anything that would touch food.

benbacardi

...why?!

windjammer

benbacardi said:

...why?!

Sounds ridiculous but my wife keeps moving the foodbags and I can never find them, very frustrating when I'm in a hurry to get out the house in a morning.  The other day I had to take my teabags to work wrapped in aluminium foil. 

I just wanted some disposable bags and I happened to have a Lego box nearby woth these bags in.  I didn't use them in the end because i wasn't sure whether they're safe to store food.

benbacardi

If I were you I'd just ask my wife where she keeps putting the food bags and why she keeps moving them! Or if you've got aluminium foil, that's perfectly good for sandwiches as well as teabags ;)

Lego_Lord_Mayorca

Food handling safety and "regulations" aside, my mind is trying to wrap itself around how you'd get around the fragility of the LEGO bags. I mean, it depends a lot on how you opened the bags in the first place, but they aren't designed to be resealed. If you are putting a sandwich in one, what's to prevent it from falling out inside your lunch kit? Or briefcase, or whatever you'll be transporting the food in? What about juicy foods? Do you plan on double-sealing the food and using tape around the cut edges to hold it all in? Heavier food like that might cause the bag to tear even more along the initial cuts.

I take food as seriously as I do LEGO, so these kinds of questions would (personally) behoove me to just buy a secret cache of foodbags all for myself, and keep it hidden from the wife.

omnium

Or think about the environment, stop using single use plastic bags, and just use Tupperware?? Other brands are available :)

Brainslugged

Do you take the Lego out of the bags first? If not, it may be worth giving that a try as it will be easier on the teeth. Those ziplock bags work really well if you need somewhere to store the removed Lego.

madforLEGO

windjammer said:

benbacardi said:

...why?!

Sounds ridiculous but my wife keeps moving the foodbags and I can never find them, very frustrating when I'm in a hurry to get out the house in a morning.  The other day I had to take my teabags to work wrapped in aluminium foil. 

I just wanted some disposable bags and I happened to have a Lego box nearby woth these bags in.  I didn't use them in the end because i wasn't sure whether they're safe to store food.

Or, just buy a box of your own food bags.. and chain the dispenser to a table like they do with pens at the bank

SprinkleOtter

Lego_Lord_Mayorca said:

Food handling safety and "regulations" aside, my mind is trying to wrap itself around how you'd get around the fragility of the LEGO bags. I mean, it depends a lot on how you opened the bags in the first place, but they aren't designed to be resealed. If you are putting a sandwich in one, what's to prevent it from falling out inside your lunch kit? Or briefcase, or whatever you'll be transporting the food in? What about juicy foods? Do you plan on double-sealing the food and using tape around the cut edges to hold it all in? Heavier food like that might cause the bag to tear even more along the initial cuts.

I take food as seriously as I do LEGO, so these kinds of questions would (personally) behoove me to just buy a secret cache of foodbags all for myself, and keep it hidden from the wife.

When she finds the stash:

"I don't know where those bags came from, honey. You must have moved them there and forgotten. No, no need to move them now..."

Legoboy

Is this a real thread or am I still asleep?

windjammer

Lego_Lord_Mayorca said:

Food handling safety and "regulations" aside, my mind is trying to wrap itself around how you'd get around the fragility of the LEGO bags. I mean, it depends a lot on how you opened the bags in the first place, but they aren't designed to be resealed. If you are putting a sandwich in one, what's to prevent it from falling out inside your lunch kit? Or briefcase, or whatever you'll be transporting the food in? What about juicy foods? Do you plan on double-sealing the food and using tape around the cut edges to hold it all in? Heavier food like that might cause the bag to tear even more along the initial cuts.

I take food as seriously as I do LEGO, so these kinds of questions would (personally) behoove me to just buy a secret cache of foodbags all for myself, and keep it hidden from the wife.

I always open the bags like a bag of crisps (at the top) and just wrapping a sandwich cut in half would work well by folding it around and putting it in my bag.

It's a firm rattle-y kind of plastic so I think even a heavier food like a baked potato would work ok too.

Having said all that, as much as I love Lego i dont want to eat any plastic microshards left over from the manufacturing process so @madforLEGO and @SprinkleOtter are on to something with a well hidden stash of foodbags somewhere.

Brainslugged

windjammer said:

I think even a heavier food like a baked potato would work ok too.

You officially just took this thread up to eleven!

Switchfoot55

^I couldn't agree more. That line made my day.

What about a cold soup or gazpacho even? 

GothamConstructionCo

The looks I’d get from my colleagues if I turned up at work with my lunch in numbered bags.

Hanzo

It's no fair this site won't allow gifs/memes and I have to read threads like this.

SprinkleOtter

Hanzo said:

It's no fair this site won't allow gifs/memes and I have to read threads like this.

Break the rules! Go wild! ;)

Baby_Yoda

If we try hard enough, the mods will split this thread into Off-Topic and we can post all the memes we want!

Cyberdragon

I'd be worried about leaks and chemicals absorbing into the food from the plastic.
http://gwcontainers.com/food-grade-plastic-what-is-it/
And obviously don't use the old ones with the holes.

Unless...the bags are secretly edible...maybe they'll soon be made organic.

windjammer

Cyberdragon said:

I'd be worried about leaks and chemicals absorbing into the food from the plastic.
http://gwcontainers.com/food-grade-plastic-what-is-it/
And obviously don't use the old ones with the holes.

Unless...the bags are secretly edible...maybe they'll soon be made organic.

Excellent link @Cyberdragon , this is the kind of thing I was looking for.  A bit of Googling suggests that the bags are of type plastic #5: Polypropylene (PP).  However I can't find this verified anywhere so I wouldn't risk it.

windjammer

One of the Ideas projects that has reached 10k supporters is a M&M's dispenser....

HugeYellowBrick

I shouldn't think there is any realistic risk if you are using the bags as single use for a few hours only. You're more likely to choke on your food.

But if you are worried you could wrap your food in aluminium foil before putting it into the bag, and then worry about aluminium poisoning.

Cyberdragon

windjammer said:

One of the Ideas projects that has reached 10k supporters is a M&M's dispenser....

But that's solid and dry. It's soft or wet foods that are the problem from chemical absorbtion.

Polyphemus

Brainslugged said:

windjammer said:

I think even a heavier food like a baked potato would work ok too.

You officially just took this thread up to eleven!

Yep, this was already a pretty funny thread and that's where I really lost it too...

allthenamesaretaken

At least with numbered bags you would know in what order to eat your lunch.