Safe Use of the Bolee Bag

 The Bolee Bag is designed to last

The Bolee Bag is designed to be reused.  It is made from sturdy plastic film with extra wide seams around the edges to make sure that it stands up to home use.  To make sure we got this right we tested it using a cycle of fill, empty, wash, rinse and dry.  We did this cycle 15 times on multiple Bolee Bags and then tested them for any leaks.  We also put the Bolee Bag through freeze and thaw cycles to make sure that storing them in freezer will work. The good news is that the Bolee Bags performed very well, with no leaks to validate the design during development.  Feedback from customers indicates that the Bolee Bag typically outperforms the 15 uses with appropriate care. To make sure we maintain this high level of performance, we track and investigate all complaints

Cleaning the Bolee Bag

Cleaning the Bolee Bag after it's used and maintaining its cleanliness over time is also important. We know from the caregivers that using the instructions on the back of the Bolee Bag - wash with warm soapy water, rinse and air dry - make it possible to keep nutrition free from contamination.  But you don't have to take our word for it.  Dr. Teresa Johnson, a registered dietitian who teaches and does research at Troy University, has demonstrated that by following the Bolee Bag cleaning instructions, the Bolee Bag remains clean.

She, Dr. Debra Milton from Umea University in Sweden and their teams performed a controlled study which evaluated the risk of contamination when using the Bolee Bag for tube feeding.  The results of their study were published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice (March 2022).  The article is "Low risk for microbial contamination of syringe and tube feeding bag surfaces after multiple reuses with home blenderized tube feeding".   The team simulated 15 tube feedings in their lab and tested the Bolee Bag and syringe for bacterial contamination before and after the 15 feedings.  Dr. Johnson concluded that both Bolee Bags and ENFit® bolus syringes may be used multiples times for BTF with a reduced risk of microbial contamination when following the US Food Code guidelines for safe food preparation and manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines between uses.  The article points out that the nutrition wasn't tested for contamination, just the surfaces of the Bolee Bags and syringes. Also, the ENFit syringe used in the study also was not labeled for reuse.

Storage

In 2020, Dr. Johnson also published an article in Nutrition in Clinical Practice titled "Accepted Safe Food-Handling Procedures Minimizes Microbial Contamination of Home-Prepared Blenderized Tube-Feeding".   In this article she reported on the work she and her team at Troy University did to demonstrate how best to prepare and store home blended tube feeding.  They show that using standard food safety processes, it is possible to prepare and store tube feeding safely for up to 48 hours in a refrigerator. And they used the Bolee Bag as the food container in their study.  One of the most critical aspects of safe storage of the tube feeding is starting with ingredients that are free from contamination and carefully maintaining standard food safety practices during preparation.

Both articles provide support for the reuse of the Bolee Bag for tube feeding as long as you follow instructions and take care when preparing home blends and handle commercial tube feeding appropriately. 

If you follow these commonsense directions, you can answer the question that started this blog - Is my Bolee Bag Clean? - with an enthusiastic - YES!