Critters in your bagged produce?

[Smithy]

The other greens in your bagged lettuce: Frogs, snakes and lizards

 

 

Our household is evenly split on whether or not to wash pre-washed and bagged produce. I have to admit that we've never found visitors in them, but I'd take a dim view of finding bits of snake among the green beans. How about you? Do you wash produce that's already been triple-washed? Does this article change your mind?

 

[IowaDee]

Always wash them.  I've seen people who run their hands under the faucet for about two seconds and call it washing.  I always figure at least one of those triple washing is going to be  like that.  If I have bits of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails in my greens, they are going to be clean!

[lemniscate]

I *always* wash all produce, "pre-bagged, pre-washed" or not.   One of the largest recalls for e. coli produce was Earthbound Farms (huge organic factory farm) fresh "pre-washed" spinach in 2013.   You just can't trust the washing processes in these huge facilities aren't contaminated.  

 

Just recently:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/consumer-reports-finds-listeria-in-pre-washed-greens-sold-at-supermarket/

https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/prewashed-bagged-lettuce-e-coli-outbreak/

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-38026695

 

The 5 minutes to rewash and spin the bagged produce is well worth the time.

 

I open all bagged produce and inspect before cooking or repackaging.    Odd things get picked up by automated harvesters.  

 

We've been told to inspect dried beans for rocks for years before cooking.  It's kind of like that.

 

[pastrygirl]

34 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

   One of the largest recalls for e. coli produce was Earthbound Farms (huge organic factory farm) fresh "pre-washed" spinach in 2013.   You just can't trust the washing processes in these huge facilities aren't contaminated.  

 

E. coli doesn’t always wash off, that spinach was contaminated at the farm. E. Coli was in the spinach, not on the spinach. 

 

The safer approach is to cook everything.  

[ElsieD]

I wash everything.

[liuzhou]

I never buy bagged vegetables. Why pay for someone to wash what you can, in all probability, wash better yourself? Why pay for the bag and the inert gas inside? And all the associated manhandling and distribution charges? Because it's more convenient for the stores? Screw them!

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

I never buy bagged vegetables. Why pay for someone to wash what you can, in all probability, wash better yourself? Why pay for the bag and the inert gas inside? And all the associated manhandling and distribution charges? Because it's more convenient for the stores? Screw them!

It’s not always as clear-cut as it might appear at least in the stores where I shop. It is not unusual to find that the only romaine available is the bagged romaine (and I am “forced” to buy 3 rather than the 1 I wanted). Similarly with the spinach — my choices are bagged or not at all.  I always have the option of eating something else of course.

[lindag]

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

I wash everything.

A few years ago I got very, very sick after eating bagged spinach.  The food poisoning turned into pneumonia and I was hospitalized for two days.  My first ever experience as a hospital patient.  It was just awful and I'm now very skeptical now about  eating bagged spinach.

[liuzhou]

14 hours ago, Anna N said:

It’s not always as clear-cut as it might appear at least in the stores where I shop. It is not unusual to find that the only romaine available is the bagged romaine (and I am “forced” to buy 3 rather than the 1 I wanted). Similarly with the spinach — my choices are bagged or not at all.  I always have the option of eating something else of course.

 

Yes, I appreciate that. Fortunately here very little is bagged and only in supermarkets surrounded by "farmer''s markets" where I can always buy exactly how many of whatever I may want. Today I bought one carrot.

I did notice on my recent trip to the UK that bagged stuffed was much more the norm than when I left years ago! It is just contributing to the very food waste they claim to be fighting.

 

But whatever and wherever I buy my vegetation , it is going to have the half-life scrubbed out of it in the controlled environment of MY kitchen.

 

[weinoo]

I'm big on washing. Even if something is triple-washed, it get re-double washed right here in my kitchen.

 

Melons, stone fruits, veg all get well washed, many with a soapy sponge just for that purpose.

[liuzhou]

19 hours ago, Anna N said:

It is not unusual to find that the only romaine available is the bagged romaine (and I am “forced” to buy 3 rather than the 1 I wanted).

 

 

What  I said. The produce is sold in a format to suit the store; not the customer.