Is Your Salad Safe? A Guide to Leafy Greens

Is Your Salad Safe? My Guide to Leafy Greens will help you sort out the facts from the myths about what might be lurking in your salad bowl (E coli, salmonella, listeria, norovirus…yuck!) and help you figure out what you can do about it.

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I know all about runny eggs and cookie dough, but do I have to give up my salads too??

Salads are one of the joys of life and I never want to give them up ~ but I also need to pay attention to all the news about potential dangers associated with them. I’ve dug deep and come up with what I think are the relevant facts. Like with all complicated issues, there aren’t easy answers, but armed with the facts we can keep on enjoying fabulous healthy salads together.

Are salad greens safe?

Believe it or not salad greens are number 1 on the FDAs list of the most dangerous foods in America, so we definitely need to take the issue seriously. As a group, they’re more likely to make us sick than other foods. Greens can harbor pesticides, and are susceptible to Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, all dangerous microbes. So much so that the FDC recommends people at risk, (those with compromised immune systems, the elderly, the very young, and pregnant women,) avoid eating them entirely!

This is super scary to a salad lover like me, so I decided to research the issue to get to the bottom of the problem.

What’s the issue with fresh greens?

There are 3 main safety issues with leafy greens: 

• Greens are grown in fields where the soil and water can easily be contaminated with pesticides and dangerous germs and bacteria. Central processing, widespread distribution and more imported produce complicate the issue.
• Greens are delicate and can break or bruise easily, allowing that contamination to penetrate inside the leaves.
• We eat greens raw, so there is no cooking heat to kill dangerous bacteria that might be present. (Cooking is one of the best ways to make food safe to eat, and that doesn’t apply to salads.)

 

What are the most dangerous types of greens?

• Romaine lettuce seems to be one of the most dangerous lettuces you can eat. Some have theorized that it’s because romaine has delicate leaves that bruise or break easily, allowing tainted water to penetrate. Another theory is that we hear about romaine poisonings more often because it is the most popular lettuce in the US, and served in so many restaurants and fast food outlets.
• Spinach and kale are on the’dirty dozen’ list of most contaminated vegetables (as cited by the nonprofit, Environmental Working Group) This list specifically refers to pesticide contamination.
• Bagged pre-cut lettuce or salad kits are a problem because they contain greens from various places, any one of which could contaminate the entire bag. And the more greens are handled and processed the bigger the risk for contamination. Additionally, cut greens have more exposed areas making them vulnerable to possible contamination. The cut edges of produce can actually encourage pathogens like salmonella to grow.

Which salad greens are safer?

• full heads of lettuce are safer than cut greens, as long as you remove the outer leaves. This is because contaminates have a harder time penetrating the whole head. Heads of lettuce are still susceptible to contaminants that enter through their roots, however.
• hydroponically grown greenhouse greens (greens not grown in soil or fields) are safer, as long as the water used to irrigate them is clean.
• Organic produce is a safer choice, but not free from risk. You will get less pesticides, but the greens can still become contaminated by dangerous bacteria in the fields and during handling.
• Farmer’s market greens are a safer choice as well because you know the greens are coming from a single source, but be aware that smaller farms often have less budget and resources for implementing complex safety regulations.

What you can do to minimize your risk

• Washing your greens is important, but know that this will not protect you completely. Washing can remove some or all of dirt and pesticides, but it can’t kill bacteria. What’s worse, some bacteria can live inside the lettuce itself, not on the outside.
• Buy the freshest greens you can find. Avoid buying bruised or damaged greens, and always remove outer leaves from heads.
• Keep greens refrigerated and use within a week.
• Avoid cross contamination with other foods, keep greens bagged or in containers in the crisper.
• Wash your produce just before using, not when you get home from the supermarket.
• Wash your hands well before handling greens ~ yes, you can contaminate your greens too!

My greens are organic, do I need to wash them?

Yes, organic produce can still be exposed to pesticides like regular produce. That goes for home grown, too!

Are ‘triple washed’ greens clean enough?

I think so, and personally I don’t re-wash triple washed greens.  My thinking is that they are already cleaner than any home rinsing is going to get them. But be aware that, as mentioned above, washing doesn’t guarantee that your greens are safe from pathogens. UPDATE: the National Center for Disease Control says if your greens are “pre-washed” or “triple washed” you don’t have to wash them again ~ yay!

Do special produce washes work?

None of them have been found to be effective and in fact he official recommendation from experts is to wash greens in cool running water.

Will vinegar kill E.coli?

It will only help kill bacteria on the surface of greens, and the concentration and length of time needed to really do the job would be impractical for everyday eating. Just stick to running water!

Can I feed greens to my pet?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says: “Animals sometimes get sick from some germs that make people sick. Always handle and prepare leafy greens safely before feeding them to pets and other animals.”

Play it safe and cook your salad!

One great way to enjoy healthy greens without the risk is to wilt or cook them. Cooking greens effectively kills the bacteria. There are lots of delicious ways to do this (clockwise from top left)

• Green Goddess Immune Boosting Soup ~ instead of making a green smoothie with raw greens, cook them up in this healthy soup.
• Kale and Pancetta Pasta ~ try adding greens to all your favorite pasta recipes. Just shred them and stir into the cooked pasta, the heat of the pasta will wilt them.
• Chicken Thighs with Beans and Wilted Greens is packed with watercress, spinach, and kale.
• Sheet Pan Frittata with Spring Greens ~ frittatas are a great way to incorporate cooked  greens into your diet.
• Spinach and Artichoke Quiche ~ I often add leafy greens to quiches to lighten them and add a nutritional punch.
• Salmon Coconut Curry includes lots of cooked spinach.

The bottom line…

1. Your chances of being sickened by your greens are slim, but real. The risks of eating raw greens can’t be 100% eradicated at this point in time.

2. Those in a higher risk category (children under 5, seniors, pregnant women, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems) should consider avoiding raw greens.

3. For all others, the health benefits of leafy greens outweigh the risks, so use the best practices outlined above and enjoy gorgeous salads! That’s what I plan to do 🙂