Consumer Reports tested 208 bags of salad greens from 16 different brands and found that 39 percent of the samples had traces of fecal contamination. Researchers also found that mixes containing spinach had higher levels of bacteria and that greens tested at least six days before their "use by" date had lower levels of contaminants. Luckily, no traces of deadly pathogens like E. coli or salmonella were found. But still, the thought of cow poo on my baby arugula is totally gross.
To find out how to protect yourself, read more.
Though researchers say that the levels of bacteria found didn't pose a threat, it is indicative of poor sanitation where the salad greens are processed. This definitely could be the makings of another E. coli outbreak, like the one that was linked to bagged spinach in 2006. That outbreak killed three people and hospitalized 100 more.
What I am taking away from this is to always wash my salad greens — prewashed or not. If you don't have a salad spinner, it's a good investment.
Brands for which we had more than four samples, including national brands Dole, Earthbound Farm Organic, and Fresh Express, plus regional and store brands, had at least one package with relatively high levels of total coliforms or enterococcus. Our tests were conducted at an outside lab over two weeks in August and September with financial support from the Pew Health Group, which is working to improve food safety.
Consumers Union supports Senate Bill 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act, that would, among other things, require the Food and Drug Administration to set stronger produce safety standards. Those should include performance standards for indicators of fecal contamination, such as generic E. coli and enterococcus.
What you can do
Buy packages as far from their use-by date as you can find.
Even if the bag says "prewashed" or "triple-washed," wash the greens yourself. Rinsing won't remove all bacteria but may remove residual soil.
Prevent cross contamination by keeping greens away from raw meat. For more information, go to www.ConsumersUnion.org/safefood.
Thanks John. That means nothing has been done to rectify the problem. Pretty sad when you know people are still being subjected to harm and do nothing about it.
__________________ If we all sang the same note in the choir,
We'd never have harmony
Sadly enough, since reading this I have let the bags of salad in
my refrigerator expire. I am unsure if I want to eat bagged
salad again. I hate making salads.
Sadly enough, since reading this I have let the bags of salad in my refrigerator expire. I am unsure if I want to eat bagged salad again. I hate making salads.
Take the topic and the thread for face value. There is no shortage of "OH MY GOD" threads posted like this.
The article says that no deadly bacteria was found.
How do you think vegetables have been fertalized for the past few centuries? We're all still here, aren't we?
Read the thread, have a chuckle and move on. When John posts a useful thread, then be concerned. Till then, do your due diligence and look at the bigger picture.
It would be another gadget in my kitchen that didn't get used and taking up space.
I do like buying the ready mixed salad only because like Tylee, I'm lazy and hate making salads, but I'm sure a head of lettuce would be safer,because it isn't handled in the middle of the head and you can remove the outer leaves.
I had a salad holder with the prong in the center to keep it off the bottom of the bowl. Got rid of that, because it did nothing. Gadgets, gadgets, gadgets. I have tons that I don't use and only several that I won't part with.
According to today's reports...what's good today is bad tomorrow...stay tuned...what was bad yesterday is now good today.
__________________ If we all sang the same note in the choir,
We'd never have harmony
Our government will not allow us to take an "unauthorized" cup of coffee on an airplane but they have no way to check to see if our salad is contaminated with waste products? Is this really true? Seems like we'd have some kind of federal policy manual to cover that.
Hate to make salad, often buy the mixes, but lettuce lasts a lot longer in the refrigerator if you simply put in in a plastic bag and squeeze out all air, fastening it tightly with an elastic or ziploc. It browns (like with that Tupperware pointed thing on which the lettuce gets impaled) due to a chemical reaction that bruises it upon cutting, just like an apple.
No matter what you do to a head of lettuce, though, it is more durable than a bag of precut salad mix. More often than not they turn brown long before the "use-by" date. I hope the brown in the mix bags are from that bruising and not something else
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Topic: Wash That Salad Mix Well
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