Oct 15, 2008 4:00 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side Tests Debbie Meyer Green Bags
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Are you tired of throwing money down the drain when your produce goes bad? Well there is a product out there that claims to give your fruits and vegetables a longer shelf life.
3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan puts it to the test to find out if it's worth the investment in your time and money.
Whether it be blueberries, strawberries, peaches or peppers, the rising price of produce is enough to make shoppers go bananas!
"I won't buy something unless it's on sale, because I know it's not going to last," said Amanda Bruton.
She would love to find a way to keep her fruits and veggies lasting longer. But will a plastic bag do the trick?
"Spoiled produce, not again, stop throwing away your money. Introducing the Debbie Meyer green bags," said Debbie Meyer in her commercial for Green Bags.
OK, So it's a green plastic bag.
Debbie Meyer Green Bags claim to absorb and remove gases that are released from fruits and vegetables extending up to 10 times the normal life of the food.
Amanda was skeptical, but agreed to put the bags to an unscientific test.
Following the directions, she placed her dry produce in the bags and stored the items as usual.
4 days into our test, "The bag definitely worked for the bananas because there is a big, big difference," said Bruton.
Avocados did amazingly better in the bags than those left out.
"Very mushy and the ones in the bag are firm still," said Bruton.
But before you go running out to the store, the grapes that were stored in their original packaging were fine. Those placed in the Debbie Meyer bags had developed mold.
Strawberries left in the original container were fine, but those in the Green Bag became soft and slimy.
"They are very smushy," said Bruton.
The directions say if moisture builds up, just wipe out the bag with a paper towel.
"I would say every single bag had moisture in them, I've just been drying them out each day," said Bruton.
You can also reuse them up to 10 times.
But Bruton says, "They're a pain to clean. I think most people will just chuck them."
After a full two weeks, peaches and peppers did better in the bags too, but with some items, she really couldn't notice a big difference.
We asked Amanda if she'd give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down?
"I don't know, I'll give it a thumb sideways," said Bruton.
When we shared our strawberry and grape results with the makers of Debbie Meyer Green Bags, they said they were baffled as to why the fruit deteriorated so quickly. They say their independent tests show that they do quite well.
If you decide to try them out yourself, a 20 bag pack retails for around $10 dollars at the supermarket or home stores. Avoid buying them online or through infomercials because the shipping costs can pack a punch.
Debbie Meyer Green Bags Test Results:Better In The Bags:Avocados
Bananas
Peaches
Peppers
Worse In The Bags:Grapes
Strawberries
Tied:Carrots
Cauliflower
Lettuce
Tomatoes
RELATED LINK:http://www.greenbags.com/
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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