PU-coated food storage bag

Hey guys, first post. I want to make a food storage bag, so that I can carry stuff like mashed potatoes and pasta in bulk instead of a duzillion ziplocks. But then somebody told me that PU-coated fabrics should not be in direct contact with food because of some not all to healthy chemicals. Does anybody know if this is correct? Or has anybody used PU-coated fabrics (like the STS drysacks) for storing food?

There are such things as "Food Grade" polyurethane.

You can read more abut them by a google search for "food grade polyurethane".

Just the name "polyurethane" doesn't tell you about the chemical additives in it that may cause you problems. It doesn't necessarily mean that the harmful additives are present either.

You could consider use of a paper bag or bags inside of the PU sack to contain your bulk foods, or the paper or plastic bags that are furnished at the point of purchase of bulk foods. Those bags are likely to be food grade.

Our local news show had a feature article on the contamination that your food can get from the reuse of those "environmentally friendly" grocery bags. One solution was -- use the "food grade" bags in the produce aisles to prevent contact between the "environmentally friendly" reusable grocery bags and your food.

What is your proposed hygiene control solution for any polyurethane bag you would use for this purpose?

Thanks I was hoping I wouldn't have to line the bags, as I assume that will shorten the lifetime (plus then I'm back to having to bring plastic bags). I haven't really given much thought to hygiene, I'll mostly use it for dry food and the idea was just to wash it after I've used it. Do you know in which way the chemicals can be harmful? After all, it's not like I will use it every day, I'm maybe out hiking 30-40 days a year. Maybe it's not really harmfuk unless you get loads of it into your system over extended periods of time or something? Food grade would be brilliant, but I couldn't find anyone who actually sold it. Do you know if there is some sort of spray or something out there?

I know nothing about the particular chemicals in polyurethane coatings on stuff sacks and know nothing about coatings for polyurethane that could seal them in.

If you carry more than one different bulk food, how do you propose to keep them from mixing? A bunch of stuff sacks? Little baggies inside one stuff sack?

Well, the plan is to have food bags of different sizes and fasten a screw lid to them. That way I can carry all my pasta in one bag, and all my mashed potatoes in another, and put them all in a large, light stuff sack. The point is not having to search through loads of small bags (20 just for a short week) in order to find what I need, and in addition I'll avoid loads of garbage. It seems a good idea to me, but it was way harder than I thought getting hold of some non-toxic waterproof fabric!

For packing bulk stuff into convenient bags, there is the system designed by anders here
Hit ""gör det själv", then scroll down right menu to "matpase nr 1"
No need to translate this one, pictures are enough

Thanks, I've had a look at that one. Being Norwegian, there's not too much of a language barrier either:) Good idea, but I was looking for something a bit more permanent, the standard plastic bags tend to break at the most inconvenient time possible. I've also looked at Cuben Fiber, that might work. Apparently CF is not coated, so it might not have that many nasties in it.

How about this. REI Nalgene

At any rate, I think you are over thinking the problem. Just get heavier duty plastic bags. PU coated fabric bags are just plastic bags made differently.