When Will It Be Safe To Eat Salad Again?

The news is making it seem like we will never be able to eat salad ever again. With the recent E. coli outbreak tied to romaine lettuce and a previous egg recall due to a salmonella warning, food poisoning is scaring shoppers out of buying certain food items. People need not fear about never eating salad again; rather, they just need to pay more attention to foods they are buying and explore other options.

The outbreak, which has affected at least 64 people across 16 states, pinpointed the source to be romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona region. The suppliers and distributors, from which the contaminated lettuce came, have not been named. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) originally said to recall all precut and bagged romaine lettuce, but it later reported to recall all romaine lettuce from the Yuma region.

After coming in contact with E. coli, it can take three or four days to experience the symptoms. Millions of Americans are affected by food poisoning every year, and the cases are typically resolved on their own. A person can get over food poisoning within few days or a week tops. The E. coli outbreak, however, has hospitalized 31 people, inciting fear in people across the nation.

Here’s A Great Tip

It is always best to avoid precut, prewashed, and packaged fruits and vegetables. While the convenience may be alluring to the consumer, these foods are not worth the risk. There is more processing and more people handling ingredients, and that increases the risk of contamination. According to a 2010 study from Consumer Reports, “unacceptable” levels of bacteria, which commonly cause food poisoning, were found in about one third of the 208 salad bags that were tested.

According to the CDC, people have been advised to avoid all romaine lettuce because it is unrealistic to know where the lettuce was grown. While it can depend on the state and city in which you live, many locally grown lettuce varieties are available at grocery stores, health food stores, and farmer’s markets alike. Vons or Safeway, for instance, typically has an “I’m Local” section for their produce that states what farm each item came from.

While there may be a current romaine lettuce scare, you can still consume other types of leafy greens. Don’t be afraid of grocery shopping; rather, it is just important to be aware of where your food comes from. To help you explore other salad options, here are a few salad recipes you can try right now. Let us know how you like them.

Tropical Arugula Salad With Mango & Avocado

The arugula asserts itself as a strong base for this salad. The peppery flavor forms a harmonious marriage with the sweetness of the mango and the acidity of the dressing. You will also get a lot of healthy fats from the avocado!