Pre-Washed Salad Greens

There seems to be a lot of debate of the pre-washed salad greens situation. The staff of a major newspaper collected different types of pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables including salad greens for laboratory analysis for bacteria. The result was shocking. Several of the pre-washed packages of produce contained high levels of bacteria.

What the reporters failed to mention was that most of the bacteria found were harmless, because produce, i.e., lettuce, carrots and the like, are grown in the soil, therefore we cannot expect them to be bacteria free.

Washing in cool water actually loosens and removes most of the bacteria on produce. There are harmless microorganisms living there as well. These harmless bacteria actually compete with pathogens for nutrients, thus keeping our produce safe.

The next time you are in your supermarket, look at the produce section carefully. Any bulk lettuce displayed in open bins or boxes is exposed to the elements. People touch it, they sneeze on it, things fall on it from the air and it should be washed before eating, even if the box says pre-washed.

The bagged vegetables and lettuce have been problem-free. These items are washed and sealed in plastic bags. They are actually cleaner than we could get them at home, according to tests conducted by the USDA and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The words to look for on pre-washed plastic bags of greens are "washed" and "ready to eat." Large companies use special techniques to maintain high quality and safety standards. Don’t be fooled by words like "fresh," "natural" and "organically grown," it does not mean the produce is washed. In fact, there is no reason to believe that such packaging carries pre-washed greens.

Autumn 1998
Powdery Mildew Thrives Now | "Wet Feet" of Shrubs, Trees & Flowers | Baking Soda Update | Some Tips on Buying Firewood | Lawn Care Caldenar | Bug Bites: Slugs | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Refrigerator Storage | Locally Grown: Edible Flowers | Pre-Washed Salad Greens | Foodborne Illness: What Consumers Need to Know | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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