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Quick Facts…
Lettuce, spinach, and other salad greens are an important part of a healthful diet because they can be year-round sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
Red and dark green leafy vegetables are generally higher in antioxidants, Vitamin B6, and other nutrients than lighter colored greens.
It is important to store leafy greens at refrigerator temperatures and rinse well under running water before using.
To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, observe “Use by” dates printed on bagged leafy vegetables and salad mixes and use within two days after opening.
There are many flavorful and nutritious leafy greens available to consumers, especially if you choose to grow them from seed.
Benefits of Leafy Salad Greens
Lettuce
Leafy green vegetables are nutrient rich because leaves contain the light-catching, energy-converting machinery of plants. Salad greens contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, folate, fiber, and phytonutrients (see Table 1). Leafy vegetables are a good choice for a healthful diet because they do not contain cholesterol and are naturally low in calories and sodium. Many of the health benefits that leafy greens provide come from phytonutrients, unique compounds that provide protection for plants. These compounds are becoming recognized as part of a nutritious diet that promotes long-term health. Phytonutrients can act as antioxidants, which help to prevent chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Figure 1 shows the antioxidant content of different kinds of lettuce.

Daily Salad   packhouse hygiene checklist

Between 2014 and 2021, there were 78 foodborne disease outbreaks linked to leafy greens (mainly lettuce) reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So if you’ve noticed recalls for lettuce contaminated with E. coli and listeria, you might be wondering whether the salad in your bowl is safe to eat. The good news: You don’t need to give up lettuce; leafy greens are highly nutritious. You just need to take a few precautions. Here, CR’s experts answer some questions about the risks of bacteria in lettuce and how to minimize them.

Q. How Does Lettuce Get Contaminated in the First Place?
A. There are a few ways. Irrigation water, which is necessary to grow crops in areas that don’t get a lot of rain, creates a pathway for contamination, especially if the lettuce field is located near livestock farms. Cattle can carry deadly strains of E. coli, and their manure, which contains the bacteria, can seep into irrigation water and contaminate crops. Even when leafy greens are grown free of harmful bacteria, contamination can still occur during harvesting, processing, or packaging. And because packaged salad greens are processed at a small number of facilities across the U.S., bacteria such as listeria can easily spread from one batch to many.


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Salad Food safety & management

Since the E. coli outbreak in Germany last month, killing at least 36 people and sickening more than 3,000, many have been leery of anything green. Spouts have been targeted as the culprit and cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce were early suspects.

But shunning salads is no way to live, especially in the summer months, when cool, green salads are especially enticing. To help with some safe salad tips, I spoke to food safety expert and NYU professor, Marion Nestle, PhD.

“These days, eating anything raw carries a risk," says Nestle. "What’s hard to say is how big and how serious that risk might be. It might be vanishingly small. Even so, there is a chance. So people have to decide based on past experience and immune status how much of a risk seems reasonable for them."

Salad  Supplier Food Safety & management

Salad is a popular summer dish. However, it is also linked with foodborne illness. There are ways to prepare salad safely so that friends and family do not get sick. Salad food safety tips include the following:

Wash your hands! Always wash hands before and after preparing any salad ingredient.
Don’t rewash lettuce that is already prewashed in the package. This can introduce contaminants that were already eliminated.
Use a different knife and cutting board for each ingredient. If you intend to keep salad ingredients separate for people to make their own, you won’t have contaminated all ingredients.
Keep salads cold in a refrigerator, in a cooler, or over ice. Don’t leave out at room temperature for more than two hours. Warmer temperatures (40–140 degrees) can cause bacteria to grow on food and promote illness.
Make sure salad is served with a utensil and not bare hands. Hands carry viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. It is best to use clean and sanitized salad tongs or forks.
Visit Produce Basics (spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu/cook/produce-basics) for tips on how to select, store, and wash many types of salad ingredients.