Keep packaged lettuce cold and eat it soon. “As you would with meat and poultry, don’t let bagged lettuce stay out of the fridge for too long, because bacteria multiply at room temperature,” says James E. Rogers, Ph.D., CR’s director of food safety research and testing. In addition, the longer lettuce sits in bags or containers, the more opportunity bacteria have to grow, so buy packages with expiration dates as far in the future as possible and don’t buy more than you can eat in a few days. If even a few leaves look damaged, slimy, or bruised, don’t eat any of the greens in that package.
Consider buying hydroponic or greenhouse-grown greens. These are less likely to be contaminated by bacteria from animal droppings in soil or water, although they’re not risk-free. Their cleanliness depends on the source of the water used and whether proper food safety practices are followed by people who handle the greens, Rogers says.
Soak your greens in vinegar. Microbiologist Carl Custer, who spent his career at the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, says research shows that soaking greens in vinegar or a vinegar-water solution will reduce bacteria levels but won’t kill all bacteria. Still, he advises dousing your greens with white vinegar and letting them sit for 10 minutes, then rinsing. Your greens may be a little vinegary-tasting, but most salad dressings contain vinegar anyway. Salad rinses are often designed to clean greens of dirt or chemicals, not bacteria, and are unlikely to kill harmful bacteria.
Cook your greens until wilted. This will kill harmful bacteria, but it’s a solution only for sturdier greens, such as spinach, kale, collards, and Swiss chard. It’s especially important for people who are more likely to be seriously affected by food poisoning: the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. “These people may want to consider not eating raw leafy greens at all,” Rogers says.
Stay informed. The Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture (which regulates meat, poultry, eggs, and some seafood) post outbreak information on Twitter; you can follow them at @FDAfood and @USDAFoodSafety. On both agency websites, you can also sign up for email alerts.
Report any suspected food poisoning. If you think you got sick from food, contact your local health department and ask to speak with the environmental health specialist or sanitarian. You can also contact the FDA or USDA directly. (For more information, see “How to Report Food Poisoning.”)
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The Safest Ways to Eat Salad - ConsumerReports.org
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