Feeling uneasy about green leafy vegetables after the recall? Is lettuce safe? Here are the facts so you can feel better about serving and eating salads.
Serving up a crisp, green salad is a good thing for your family. But the recent recall on romaine, spinach, and other lettuces might make you feel a little strange about leafy greens.
Is it safe to eat lettuce? Which Leafy Greens Are Better? And can you really trust “pre-washed” lettuce?
I researched the facts and found the answer. Here’s what you should know:
Should You Eat Salad?
First things first: yes! Salad is good for you. leaves of All There are all kinds of nutritional benefits—even the much maligned iceberg, which is actually a good source of vitamin K and folate.
Eating a variety of lettuce means you’re also getting an array of nutrients and antioxidants, which are natural plant compounds that protect cells from damage caused by disease. See the nutritional benefits of different types of lettuce here.
Salads also make people eat more vegetables overall, and that’s always a good thing. in A 2019 study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsThe researchers found that salad eaters consumed more fiber, unsaturated fat, potassium, and vitamins such as A, C, E, and B6, and tended to eat more vegetables in general, compared to non-salad eaters.
You May Also Like: How to Teach Your Kids to Love Salads
Can you get food poisoning from lettuce?
Like any fresh fruit or vegetable, lettuce can be contaminated with pathogens that can make people sick. And since salad greens are often eaten raw, we’re not destroying those pathogens through cooking.
According to the CDC, the most serious contaminant of greens is e coli O157. may also be contaminated with various pathogens such as lettuce norovirus, salmonella, listeriaAnd cyclospora,
As is the case with any food crop, contamination can occur when lettuce is grown in the field by exposure to particles in the soil, water, or even the air. Animals such as rabbits or coyotes can bring the bacteria into an area. Contamination can also occur during harvesting from contact with handling equipment or processing plant during various stages of harvesting, packing, transportation and storage.
But here’s some important perspective: Lettuce is one of the most popular vegetables out there. The leafy greens industry supplies 47.5 billion servings of leafy greens per year. western producers union, So the potential for illness from leafy greens is actually less than 1 in 150 million, according to data from this report,
And note: The CDC says there is no evidence that organic lettuce is any safer than conventional in terms of potential contamination. Organic lettuce has the same risk from contaminated water, soil, or animals that conventional does.
What’s the deal with Romain?
You’ve probably heard about the recall specifically on romaine lettuce. Romaine may be more prone to contamination than iceberg lettuce due to its shape, as it grows in an open head versus a tightly formed head, which allows bacteria to get between the leaves.
Romaine is also one of the most popular lettuces and more than half Eat salad. So if it’s grown, sold, and eaten more than other varieties, it makes sense that recalls on romaine would occur more frequently than other types.
Should You Rewash Already Washed Greens?
No. Any salad or greens that is labeled “ready to eat” or “triple washed” No Need to rinse again. In fact, washing prewashed lettuce greens leaves you more likely to be contaminated with bacteria that may be in your sink or on your hands.
Is it better Wash or Soak the Greens?
Rinse off. Wash unwashed green leafy vegetables under cold, running water (make sure your hands are clean!). Rubbing gently with your hands will help get rid of dirt and germs. Remove torn and bruised leaves as well as the outermost layer of leaves, especially with iceberg or other lettuce heads. Use a paper towel or a clean kitchen cloth to dry them thoroughly.
keep in mind that water doesn’t actually Strike bacteria, it just lifts it off the surface of the leaf so it can be flushed down the drain. Patting the lettuce dry with a cloth or paper towel after washing it will help remove any bacteria that may be lurking in the water droplets. And remember that it’s impossible to completely remove all germs from lettuce or any food.
Salad spinners make it easy to wash and dry greens. To follow the CDC’s advice to rinse (not soak), do this: Place your greens in the strainer part of the spinner and gently twirl them and twirl the greens around. Then dry them by rotating them. Always wash and dry your salad spinner after using it.
And the greens do not need to be soaked. In fact, it can actually spread germs, According to the CDC, Leaving them soaking in your sink means they are vulnerable to any germs in your sink. And soaking greens together in a bowl means germs from one leaf can spread to other leaves. It is safe to wash the greens under running water.
What about special product washing?
the cdc does No Recommend special washing products, as there is no research showing they are any more effective than plain water. Using vinegar or lemon juice is not harmful, but again, there is no evidence that this is any better than water for reducing contamination – although there is evidence that vinegar can help keep produce fresh longer. can help.
And this may go without saying, but never use bleach on produce or any food you’re going to eat as some viral videos have suggested! Even regular soap can leach into the leaves and make you sick.
Why does my greens spoil so quickly?,
The way you store your lettuce after purchasing it can make a big difference. Here are three tips from Amy Kunugi, general manager of Southern Colorado Farms,
- Keep fresh, unwashed greens in a plastic bag set in your crisper drawer. high damp.
- Keep fresh, washed greens in a sealed container. paper towel To absorb excess moisture.
- Keep pre-washed bagged and boxed greens anywhere In your fridge because the packaging is designed to maximize shelf life (personally, I keep all greens away from the back of my fridge, which is cold enough to cause them to freeze).
Got limp leafy greens on hand and wondering if they can be saved? Soak them in ice water for 30 minutes to rehydrate and restore crispness.
What should I do if my salad is recalled?
Here’s what the CDC says to do if you find out that your leafy greens are part of a recall:
- Do not eat or serve it.
- If possible, return it to the store.
- If you decide to throw it away, put it in a sealed back and put it in an outside trash can (make sure animals can’t even access it).
- Toss any food that touched the greens in the refrigerator.
- Wash any containers that come in contact with the greens with hot, soapy water or put them in the dishwasher.
- Clean your refrigerator to make sure no harmful bacteria remain. Here are the CDC’s recommended steps for washing the refrigerator after the recall.
What is being done to preserve lettuce?
It is in the interest of farmers that their crops are safe to eat. “It’s an incredibly safe, nutritious food, and producers work hard to make sure it’s safe,” says Dee Ann Davis, PhD, senior vice president of science, for Foods. western producers union,
A thing that happens on leafy green fields is called Leafy Greens Marketing AgreementIncluding regular audits of farms and over 300 security checkpoints (such as water and soil testing).
Nearly all lettuce and leafy greens production companies in California participate, and Arizona has a similar program. Overall, more than 90 percent The greens eaten in the US are grown with these safety checks.
there are also some things you Here are things you can do at home to preserve your greens:
- Always keep salad greens refrigerated, which slows the growth of harmful pathogens.
- Keep green vegetables (and all vegetables) away from raw meat in the fridge, as the juices can transfer bacteria to the vegetables.
- Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables such as lettuce.
- Make sure your hands are clean when preparing and handling the greens.
