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Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2010 > February > 02 > Entry
Fecal bacteria found in some prewashed salad, Consumer Reports says
Tests conducted by Consumer Reports magazine show that Packaged salad can contain high levels of bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination, the magazine announced today, Feb. 2.
The story appears in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale today.
Consumers Union, which publishes the magazine, today also issued a report urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set safety standards for greens and noted that FDA food safety legislation pending in the Senate — and passed last summer by the House of Representatives — would require the FDA to create just such safety standards, according to the news release.
What can you do to minimize the risk? Consumer Reports offers these suggestions:
— Buy packages far from their use-by date.
— Wash the greens even if the packages say “prewashed” or “triplewashed.” Rinsing won’t remove all bacteria but may remove residual soil.
— Prevent cross contamination of greens by keeping them away from raw meat and poultry.
Count me among those who do not bother to wash bagged and prewashed salad greens. I can’t seem to dry the lettuce off enough, even with a salad spinner, and the salad dressing then tastes watered down. But DO also count me among those who root around in the produce section to find the freshest bags, based on their “farthest out” sell-by date.
I may have to revisit my salad spinner — or wait for spring, when local farmers markets will start selling good, locally grown (and sometimes gloriously NOT prewashed) lettuce and other salad fixings.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: Food and health
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By Safety Guy
February 2, 2010 11:47 PM | Link to this
I wash my produce in a container of hydrogen peroxide, then rinse. This kills almost all pathogens.
By bacteria
February 2, 2010 8:17 PM | Link to this
Were they referring to e-coli? This article is vague at best. E-coli actually is found in soil…makes sense. Plus if the veggies are grown near runoff from a farm…makes sense.
By Og
February 2, 2010 7:23 PM | Link to this
blah blah blah. what about restaurant salad? it is not rinsed off after shipment, our salad comes in bags off a truck and then gets dumped into storage containers. It sits in big blue bins all day and people come in and gorge themselves. i would say you would be safer off eating some salad that comes from a bag that says pre-washed without washing it. Good luck with that.
By amy
February 2, 2010 6:04 PM | Link to this
Consuming antibiotic & hormone laced foods also contributes to the evolution of super germs. Yet another great reason to know what you’re consuming and buy fresh locally.
By Russ
February 2, 2010 5:14 PM | Link to this
What doesn’t kill you, only serves to make you stronger, or something like that… Guess what, germophobes? You are the reason why we now have superbacteria! The obsession to triple wash, sanitize and Purell-ize everything along with doctors overprescribing antibiotics only serves to make our immune systems weaker and bacteria stronger. Don’t buy into the hysteria!
By fortressdayton
February 2, 2010 4:46 PM | Link to this
I’ll just say that Americans are a bit over-obsessed with the subject ‘clean’. Our foods are so contaminated, this doesn’t even rate the time to write the article. Most home kitchens represent a greater threat to the person’s health than any contaminants in pre-packaged or processed food. People will pizza that has been sitting out for three days, but they won’t properly clean chicken.
By Bob540
February 2, 2010 2:52 PM | Link to this
I also take pre-packaged salad for lunches at work. I always wash it in a bowl of water and shake it to wash thoroughly. I drain the water off, shake of the last drops and never feel need to spin it or let it drain further. Salad dressing does not taste diluted to me. I don’t get ill from it.
By Johnny 5
February 2, 2010 2:07 PM | Link to this
Never in the history of recalls have M&M’s ever been found to have fecal matter. How’s that for health food!
By null
February 2, 2010 1:56 PM | Link to this
I use these for lunches several times a week, and generally don’t wash it. Guess I will now. Veggie is the most annoying cutesy nickname in all of fooddom. Kill it!
By me
February 2, 2010 1:20 PM | Link to this
How hard is it to cut up lettuce
By gardener
February 2, 2010 1:13 PM | Link to this
This is the best reason to grow your own veggies - besides not supporting global agri-business.
By Put into context
February 2, 2010 12:59 PM | Link to this
First, I am a self-described “germaphobe”. However, we will only be able to put this issue into context when we see studies regarding bacterial counts from lettuce that is not pre-washed and pre-packaged. What is the count on “typical” lettuce washed in a “typical” home? Better, worse, or the same? Regardless, I am an advocate for home-grown veggies. Lettuce almost grows on its own! So, dig in.
By golly
February 2, 2010 12:55 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the advice mike, I never use to wash them, but I will now. never thought of sitting them in fridge. it should make them cripier (is this a word)lol also
By shellymoe
February 2, 2010 12:30 PM | Link to this
I’ve never been one to wash bagged veggies either, but I may just start! As for drying other veggies or uncooked poultry, I just pat them with a papertowel.
By Mike
February 2, 2010 12:07 PM | Link to this
I stopped at Kroger yesterday and picked up a bag of salad (after first reaching in the back for best date), various veggies to add to and a pkg. of boneless/skinless chicken breasts. My GF thinks I’m obsessive but, I’ve ALWAYS washed the salad, veggies AND the breasts (even trim fat from breasts). I use a spinner then let salad sit in a collander on a plate inside the fridge for an hour to finish draining. With the baked lemon/pepper chicken and ranch dressing (not watery), a very tasty meal. The packages of salad mix say, “prewashed”, but NEVER take it for granted. NEVER. Dysentary is no fun at all…