What plastic bags for meat?

[EdP]

What plastic bags are safe for meat storage? I'm talking about game meat that is already cooled, probably in a woven game bag, and is being transported in a cooler with ice or packed out in a backpack. The purpose of the bag is to keep the meat and water separate so the meat stays dry or the backpack doesn't get blood soaked. Garbage bags and contractor bags used to be OK but now are treated with insecticide or pesticide. Not something I want to eat. I've seen clear plastic bags but can't find any in an appropriate size for elk quarters.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

check out "space saver" bags,,available on amazon and elsewhere in several sizes and comes with a vacum pump,,ive found they work great for that use,,just be careful with sharp bone edges,,protect with paper towel or equiv,,,worked great on my deer last year to keep the air exposure off the meat also for the ride home.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

using those also keeps the surface from browning up from the air exposure,,and also keeps the ice and water off the meat,,im sold on them now,,but still use some sort of cloth bag on the inside.they are a bit delicate,,but relatively strong,,just gotta be careful with edges.

 

[RobertD]

Low density polyethylene bags are great. Used in the medical industry. We use them at taxidermy shop where I work for freezing whole birds and squirrels or rolled up skins and hides.

They're awesome because they're 100 percent leak proof, relatively durable and good for storing oddly shaped stuff. I think you can find some large enough for an elk quarter on Amazon. I do put deer quarters in em sometimes, especially if I need to refrigerate one to debone later or some such.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I've heard the pesticide thing before, but my impression was that it had been debunked? I wouldn't use scented, but contractor black trash bags for short term transport seems very reasonable and I've done it numerous times. FDA says "not approved for food" so if you're worried:

LK Packaging 40F-2832 Heavy-Duty Plastic Food Bag 28" x 32" Flat - 100/Box

Designed with chef and catering professionals in mind, this LK Packaging 40F-2832 28" x 32" heavy-duty plastic food bag is perfect for the foodservice industry! Manufactured from 100% virgin resin, this plastic contains no animal fats or heavy metals. Use it for storing bulky food components and...

www.webstaurantstore.com

 

[CUElk]

Always used contractor bags

 

[OntarioHunter]

I've heard the pesticide thing before, but my impression was that it had been debunked? I wouldn't use scented, but contractor black trash bags for short term transport seems very reasonable and I've done it numerous times. FDA says "not approved for food" so if you're worried:

LK Packaging 40F-2832 Heavy-Duty Plastic Food Bag 28" x 32" Flat - 100/Box

Designed with chef and catering professionals in mind, this LK Packaging 40F-2832 28" x 32" heavy-duty plastic food bag is perfect for the foodservice industry! Manufactured from 100% virgin resin, this plastic contains no animal fats or heavy metals. Use it for storing bulky food components and...

www.webstaurantstore.com

All that probably means is the manufacturer has not applied to FDA for approval. I don't see why a maker of contractor garbage bags would go to the expense of getting approval as food container. It's not what the bags were designed for. But doesn't mean they aren't safe to do the job. I see nothing on Home Depot box indicating insecticide and by law the manufacturer is required to inform consumers there's a toxic substance they can be exposed to.

 

[Bluffgruff]

AskUSDA

 

[N2TRKYS]

Heavy duty trash bags for the pack out in my pack. Once it gets to the cooler, I take them out of the bags. I want my quartered meat to touch the ice/water in my cooler.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Somewhere I read that heavy duty black contractor bags contain a black dye, so don't use them for meat.

 

[1_pointer]

I use stetchy lawn and leaf trashbags for meat that's been cooled and haven't had a problem.

 

[wytex]

We've used the XXL ziploc bags, Ziploc Big Bags, with good success.

 

[Horse]

Second wytex

 

[Falcon75]

I have used contractor garbage bags on the ice blocks and another time turkey brine bag on meat. A turkey brine bag is just a really big ziplock bag and good for food. I kept antelope meat that had been cooled. In game bags elevated off bottom of cooler and ice blocks in garbage bags on top in a cooler for 10 days while we hunted in 80 deg temps. Put a sleeping bag over cooler in shade and drained every night the water that escaped trash bag.

 

[buckbull]

I buy 5 gallon brining bags from amazon.

Something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Gallon-Buc...=1&keywords=brining+bag&qid=1618332681&sr=8-7

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

What plastic bags are safe for meat storage? I'm talking about game meat that is already cooled, probably in a woven game bag, and is being transported in a cooler with ice or packed out in a backpack. The purpose of the bag is to keep the meat and water separate so the meat stays dry or the backpack doesn't get blood soaked. Garbage bags and contractor bags used to be OK but now are treated with insecticide or pesticide. Not something I want to eat. I've seen clear plastic bags but can't find any in an appropriate size for elk quarters.

I put meat in a game bag and then in a SG load cell on my meat shelf, Kifaru has something similar. It may seem redundant but it keeps things a bit cleaner and also allows me to fit half an elk in my pack (if I so choose), then unload at my camp and hang several smaller game bags that are more manageable to deal with.

In terms of durability, I'm probably a dozen or so animals into mine and they are still in great shape.


I also carry a couple demo bags, I cut along them along the seems, the work as a ground cloth for my tent, and as a clean work space for boning out meat. It's a lot easier to keep track of everything on a white surface.

When I get to the truck I put the used demo bag on top of the ice and the game bag on top of that.

Sometimes I get multiple uses out of them sometimes I don't, depends on how torn up they get when I'm boning out meat.

 

[MTLabrador]

Kifaru has something similar.

I’m guessing the Kifaru game bags are pretty much the same thing with lots of Velcro, pockets, and molle webbing?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I’m guessing the Kifaru game bags are tacticool pretty much the same thing with lots of Velcro, pockets, and molle webbing?

 

[Boarmaster]

We've used the XXL ziploc bags, Ziploc Big Bags, with good success.

This is what I use.

 

[wytex]

It's chile season now, the steaming bags for roasted chiles would work well too. They are thick and food safe.

The big ziplocks have that closure that comes in handy.