In vegetables, varying the type of green leaf is the key to achieving health, but this is harmed by contamination. Beyond recommending which vegetables to consume, it is important to know why vegetables are so vulnerable to contamination, how to avoid getting sick, and whether labels that say “triple washing” can be trusted. You may think that eating green is synonymous with a diet with a high nutritional content or healthy. Although they should be present in all foods, not all of them provide the same benefits, and there are also some care that must be taken with them.
Green leafy vegetables are healthy as long as…
Kale, spinach, mesclun, romaine lettuce, vegetables, and proteins are the gastronomic equivalent of sleeping on fresh sheets, but there is care to take into account for our health, since many times, if not most of them, they are vegetables with more likely to get sick given their culture, given the microbes.
This is because microbes can adhere to the surface of the leaves and even penetrate them. If you eat contaminated leafy greens without cooking them first, such as in a salad or sandwich, you could get sick.
And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many diseases are transmitted by microbes found in vegetables and fruits that people eat raw. Harmful microbes sometimes found on leafy greens include E. coli, norovirus, Salmonella, Listeria, and Cyclospora. How do we weigh these risks then? Handle vegetables safely.
What can be done to avoid foodborne illnesses?
The most obvious precaution to take with vegetables is to throw away any vegetables in your kitchen that have been recalled for known contamination. And if the next time you go to the supermarket you’re tempted to look for those plastic containers of triple-washed lettuce, you might want to think again: pre-wash and triple-wash labels are not regulated by the authorities and even these products have been removed from the market in the United States due to contamination risk. Although it makes a difference, it is not a guarantee of health.
On the other hand, if you get your vegetables fresh at the market you need to give them a rinse. Experts recommend rinsing them in water. Not with diluted bleach, or in a vinegar solution. Just water. That is, rinsing leafy greens under running water is the best way to wash them. Do not soak leafy greens; if you soak them, microbes on one leaf can spread to the other leaves. Plus, if you soak them in the sink, the microbes in there can contaminate them.
Other food safety measures to consider when selecting, storing, and preparing leafy greens and other fresh vegetables and fruits:
- Select leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits that are not bruised or damaged.
- Make sure pre-cut fresh fruits and vegetables, such as packaged salad or cut-up fruits and vegetables, are refrigerated or on ice at the store.
- Separate fresh fruits and vegetables from raw meats, poultry, and other poultry, seafood, and eggs when putting them in your cart, shopping bags, and in the refrigerator.
- Store leafy greens, salads, and all pre-cut and packaged fresh fruits and vegetables in a clean refrigerator with the temperature set at 40ºF or lower.
- Use different cutting boards and utensils for fresh fruits and vegetables than you do for raw meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs. If that’s not an option, prepare fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing raw meat.
- Wash all utensils, cutting boards, and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water after use.
- Cook thoroughly or throw away all fresh fruits and vegetables that come into contact with raw meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish or their juices.
- Refrigerate fruits and vegetables, including salads, within 2 hours of cutting, preparing, or cooking (1 hour if at temperatures above 90°F, such as in a hot car or at a picnic).
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera
