BEEB ARE OFF THEIR TROLLEYS
Fury at store hygiene probe
THE BBC has been accused of “ridiculous scaremongering” after advising shoppers to clean supermarket trolley handles with baby wipes.
An investigation by consumer show Watchdog Live showed that trolleys were contaminated with bacteria.
Footage was then shown of a trolley being cleaned with a medicated wet wipe.
But the Beeb has been roundly blasted over the programme.
Critics said it was patronising viewers and trying to make people afraid of commonplace germs that caused no harm.
Channel 4 homes host Kirstie Allsopp said: “When Watchdog starts encouraging people to wipe trolley handles with anti-bacterial wipes, we know that we are definitely all going to hell in a handcart.”
She added that it was common knowledge that we needed bacteria for our own health, and using antibiotic products limited our resistance.
The property expert added: “Antibacterial wipes are destroying our sewage systems.” Kate Thompson, of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Wales, said there was only a “small risk” that trolley users would come to any harm.
Social media was also flooded with caustic comments about the Watchdog warning. One user wrote: “I must remember not to lick the bottom of my trolley next time I go shopping.”
Another added: “We will all be wiping notes and coins with antibacterial wipes next – it’s ridiculous!”
However, some viewers defended the BBC programme, vowing they would never use a trolley again.
Laboratory examination of swabs taken from a Tesco trolley showed that the base was infected with salmonella.
Tesco bosses also defended the show, insisting that food safety was an “absolute priority”.
Last night a BBC spokesman said they stood by the Watchdog Live report, claiming it had produced an “overwhelmingly positive response”.