Bacteria on a roll, watchdog cautions

Do not use toilet paper to wipe your mouth and nose - even if it's from a clean roll hanging in your bathroom.

That was the warning yesterday from the Consumer Council, which said potentially harmful bacteria had been found in tests on 26 brands of toilet paper. While the levels in the samples were within safety levels, the council said the bacteria could multiply once a roll had been unpacked.

'Our advice is not to use toilet paper to wipe your mouth and nose,' said Connie Lau Yin-hing, the council's deputy chief executive.

'This is because once you unpack a toilet roll and place it in some humid and warm environment, such as the bathroom, it is very likely for bacteria to grow.'

The tests on both two-ply and three-ply tissue found levels of bacteria ranging from less than 200 to 720 units.

The mainland Enterprise Standard specifies a safety limit of 600 units, but the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's microbiological guidelines for ready-to-eat food allow 1,000.

The Consumer Council also advised the public not to hold food with toilet paper while they were eating.