Whilst doing a recent online shop at www.asda.com, I decided to buy some small plastic food bags as I had ran out. Having bought food bags from Asda in the past, I knew that their own-branded product would suit my needs perfectly.

I use food bags for a variety of purposes around the home, and find them convenient and easy to use. The main reason that I buy plastic bags is for the purposes of food storage. I find that when it comes to freezing food items such as bread or rolls, the plastic bags are hygienic to use and keep my food fresh whilst it is in the freezer.

Furthermore, my husband takes a packed lunch to his work with him every day and I find that putting his sandwiches in a little plastic bag keeps them fresh and hygienic until lunch time. I also find that cost wise, the little food bags usually work out to be better value than using another product to package his lunch, such as tin foil.

The package of food bags that I purchased was from the 'Asda Smartprice' range, which is a 'basics, or no-frills' type of brand within the Asda brand itself. I find that all of the items within the Asda Smartprice range come in very basic-looking, plain packaging, which seems to be the case with all budget brands within all of the major supermarkets. This does not put me off from trying more basic products whatsoever, and I am inclined to judge the product itself rather than the packaging it comes in.

The pack of Asda Smartprice food bags that I got contains 100 bags, and for this I paid 83 pence. I believe that there is a small package of the food bags available, which contains 50 bags, and I think this costs around the 50 pence mark.

The outer packaging for the Asda Smartprice food bags is made of white plastic and it has the usual Smartprice logo and green coloured writing, informing me of the product name and that the size of these bags are 'medium'. I am unsure of whether there are alternative sizes of the bags available such as a large or small size. The packaging for these food bags states that the size of the medium bags is 230mm x 350mm (approx).

The bags themselves are supplied in a roll, so you simply 'unroll' a bag each time you want to use it. There is a perforated line dividing the bags from each other and you simply tear a bag from the roll when you want to use one, much in the same way as a roll of bin liners. I have found there are no problems with doing this and have found it easy to remove the bags individually, which has not always been the case with alternative 'budget' brands of food bags that I have bought in the past.

The Smartprice food bags are a sort of clear plastic and there are a couple of strips of bag ties supplied with the bags in the outer plastic packaging, which let you tie up the bag once you have stored your food inside. Personally, I seldom use the little white-coloured bag ties as it is just as convenient for me to tie a small knot in the top of the bag, but from time to time I will use them when using the food bags to store food in my freezer.

I should point out that the packaging for the Asda Smartprice food bags states that the bags are not suitable for use in either conventional ovens or freezers, but I had been using these food bags in my freezer for several months without incident before I noticed this statement on the item, and so have continued to use them this way in my own household. I have not used them in either the microwave or my oven and wouldn't recommend doing so.

All in all, I am happy with the cheap and cheerful Asda Smartprice food bags and will continue to buy them. They meet my needs perfectly without breaking the bank and I think they offer an affordable solution to my food storage requirements. They definitely get top marks from me and are highly recommended.

The Asda Smartprice food bags can only be purchased from Asda supermarkets. There is a website for the supermarket which can be found at www.asda.com.