It’s very convenient to buy a bag of prewashed salad to cut down on meal preparation but have you stopped to think about what could be in the bag? According to a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2017;83 [1], e02416), scientists found that during 5 days of refrigeration, traces of nutrient rich juices released from crushed greens in the bags. This led to salmonella bacteria and grew by as much as 280 times when compared with sterile water. The juice helped the bacteria to attach to leaves in the bag as well as bacterial growth on the plastic bag.
Here are a few helpful tips to ensure that you keep it safe without compromising convenience:
1) Check and use by the date on the package
2) Rinse and spin dry thoroughly before eating
3) Avoid bags that are puffy or swollen
4) Skip bags that are mushy, crushed or have slimy leaves
5) Keep salad refrigerated
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