• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Bagged lettuce may contain e-coli

F

Faster horses

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
30,499
Location
NE WY at the foot of the Big Horn mountains
I got this in an e-mail. Like a good little girl, I checked it out before posting it here. It is true and snopes has more information on it than
what is posted here. This is the first I had heard about this problem although it dates back to 2005. The problem is that they don't know how it happened, so it could happen again:

NBC Dateline did a documentary on cut-up lettuce and spinach packaged in plastic bags. They took us through the whole process and talked about how the Ecoli bacteria is now showing up in the salad mix in bags. They don't know yet how the Ecoli got in, but they do know that deaths and serious sicknesses are occurring in many states.
One woman told about how her child was near death from the lettuce and was sick for a long time. They warned us not to buy any bag salads until they find out from the investigation what is causing this contamination.

The Dole Company has recalled their bags. See the link below. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12536902/

Please pass this one on...and perhaps save someone's life. This is really pretty scary. http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/salad.asp
 
This can happen with any of that bagged fruit and veggies. I always take mine out when I get home....and rinse them in a light Clorox water....rebag them in new bags w/ a paper towel to absorb any water. I removed the towel later in the day.


So far this system works for me. It's a bit more trouble...but so is going to the hospital with the bellyache!
 
I do that as well, but the snopes article said it is possible the e coli can get into the leaves and can't be washed off.

I would think if this was a huge problem, there would be a LOT of sick
people from it. Sometimes the news sensationalizes things...don't we know? :?

At any rate, I thought it was worth passing along. Someone might benefit.
 
I won't buy the bagged salads anymore. I did for a while, and every time we'd eat it, one of us would end up sick, not bad sick, but sick none the less. I'd heard the bagged salads could contain e coli so I quite buying them a good while back.
 
Moral of the story- People shouldn't be eating that green colored stuff that was meant for rabbits and cows- much safer with good well marbled USA raised BEEF.....
 
Hey, I like a salad with my steak!

We bought some of the romain hearts lettuce and I had diarrea after I ate them almost every time. I put two and two together and realized it was the lettuce. The lettuce came from Mexico.

Food safety and food handling procedures should be applied across borders or they shouldn't let it in.

I think they probably washed the lettuce in unclean water in their processing out of the field in Mexico. If they don't get that right, they shouldn't be allowed to sell it. It doesn't matter if the store can buy it cheaper. It isn't worth the hidden cost.
 
We've bought the pre-washed lettuces but I've always re-washed them myself. Never had any problems as far as we've seen. However, we're far from the Mexican border so perhaps that is why.
It really is nice in Spring and Summer picking our own chem-free greens
and knowing there is no contaminant.
Thanks for the warning, FH.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top