A bag cutter is a tool that aids in the opening of food bags. These cutters are characterized by their safety attributes. Bag cutters often have blades that are surrounded by plastic, have handles to give the user a better grip on the tool and are made with stainless steel blades that have been approved for use around food.
A bag cutter is designed to cut through multilayer and sturdy plastic or paper sacks that hold food. These types of tools often are used where large quantities of food are consumed, such as cafeterias, restaurants or other large kitchens. The design of the bag cutter is such that it makes for efficient and quick cutting.
Bag cutters are usually simple in form and purpose. Blades are surrounded by a hard type of plastic. On one end of the cutter, there can be a handle that aids gripping. An individual can simply slide his or her fingers through the handle and grip the end before applying the blade to a bags or sacks to start opening it.
A safety bag cutter is named, in part, because of its ability to keep rust and other contaminants away from food. The blades of an average knife are made of carbon steel or other materials that can encourage the appearance of rust. Food that has contact with rust can be harmful to anyone who ingests it. Furthermore, knife blades that are removable and are used to open food bags always pose a threat to food, because the blades can detach and fall into the bags' contents. Using a bag cutter with a non-rusting, stationary blade keeps food sanitary and decreases the likelihood that a blade will accidentally fall into the bag.
Even though bag cutters aren't meant to have direct contact with food, they can be specially manufactured to meet food safety regulations. For example, bag cutters can be made out of stainless steel blades that have been approved for food contact. Using a bag cutter tool can bring peace of mind to employees and patrons of kitchens and restaurants alike.
Mini bag cutters can also be purchased. These bag cutters are meant to be used in the home, rather than in places where large sacks of food are delivered and need to be opened. They might have extra features such as clips and magnet backings. A mini bag cutter can be used on frozen food bags or snack bags. Individuals who own mini bag cutters often use them on potato chip bags.