A bag for life featuring anti-bacterial technology that makes it safe to carry raw meat one day and general groceries the next is set to hit supermarkets “within months”, according to its inventors.

As fresh fears over the threat of campylobacter food poisoning emerged this week, additive technology provider Addmaster said it was in discussions with “all the major supermarkets” regarding the introduction of its new Biomaster bag technology.

The bags are manufactured exclusively in the UK by Dorset company Solent Group, and use antimicrobial technology to inhibit the growth of bacteria, creating a reusable bag “that you can use for life, safely,” said Addmaster MD Paul Morris.

The active agent in Biomaster was built into the bag during the manufacturing process, and lasted the lifetime of the bag, said Morris, who warned that while standard reusable bags were good for the environment, they were not always good for your health. “They are a potentially powerful breeding ground for bacteria,” he said.

retailers could adopt the new technology at minimal extra cost, he claimed. “This bag provides a solution to the problem of using bags which can carry raw meat one week and vegetables or clothing the next,” he said.

The company was also in discussions regarding the introduction of anti-bacterial trolley handles using the same technology, he added.

Products that displayed the Biomaster Protected badge were tested to ISO standards, he said, and were proven to be effective at reducing the growth of more than 50 types of harmful bacteria, including e.coli, MRSA, listeria, salmonella, legionella and pseudomonas, in addition to campylobacter.