Just a small reminder - It can't hurt

CantWait wrote: Salad mix in bags; please read

I checked the two sites, and it is true.

Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 18:55:08 +0000 NBC Dateline did a documentary on cut-up lettuce and spinach packaged in plastic bags. They took us through the whole process and talked about how the Ecoli bacteria is now showing up in the salad mix in bags. They don't know yet how the Ecoli got in, but they do know that deaths and serious sicknesses are occurring in many states. One woman told about how her child was near death from the lettuce and was sick for a long time. They warned us not to buy any bag salads until they find out from the investigation what is causing this contamination. The Dole Company has recalled their bags.
See the link below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12536902/

Please pass this one on...and perhaps save someone's life.
This is really pretty scary. http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/salad.asp

coasterqueen replied: Ok, I didn't click on any links , you got me a bit freaked out about the last link I clicked on but I do want to add to this. My husband literally was very seriously ill from what they concluded had to have been the bag salad I fed him one night when we were in college. He was in the hospital seriously sick for days. It was a very scary situation and I thank God every day that he made it through that. It took him a long time before he'd eat bag salad again, but has since decided it's not worth it and makes his own salads out of fresh vegetables now.

A&A'smommy replied: UGH YUCK not buying that stuff ever again

Bee_Kay replied: Wow! I buy those bagged salads...

not anymore. Thanks!

redchief replied:
My DW feeds me that stuff.

gr33n3y3z replied: maybe that was I was sick in the rear for a week

Bee_Kay replied: LOL @ Lisa and Ed!!!

luvmykids replied: I use those all the time! I mean, I used to use those all the time!

C&K*s Mommie replied: Last semester at my college, when we were planning a party, I mentioned that I would like to bring cole-slaw since I learned of a new simpler way to make it. It was mentioned by a classmate, that there was a problem with E-coli in bagged lettuce, and sometime in the recent past there was a recall, so I Googled it, because I apparently missed the news about any recalls, and I found nothing of the sort to indicate a recall. To be safe, I went with another dish, so this is the first confirmation I had that the recall really occurred. That and in Wal-mart last night some of the bagged salads were MIA.

Thanks for the information, Marie!

kimberley replied: omg. i have 2 of those in my fridge right now. in the trash they go!

aspenblue1 replied: I will not buy them anymore. We used to use them a lot.

Our Lil' Family replied: My dad sent me this last week. I am (was) a huge supporter of the bag salad, mostly the Ceaser. Anytime someone asked me to bring a salad it was that. NOT ANY MORE! No thanks...just not worth it. I think I can buy the romaine lettuce and chop it up with some crutons and cheese, that's the least I can do to keep myself and my friends/family healthy!

MommyToAshley replied: I am a little confused by the article... are they saying that bagged salad mix is more at risk than the fresh lettuce you buy from the stores? All vegetables are at risk for e coli... depending on how they are fertilized and animals in the area. The only added factor to consider for bagged mix is the human contact. However, I thought that the bagged products went through more of a cleaning process than raw lettuce that you buy at the store. (They actually use bleach water... )

I always wash my vegetables whether they are fresh or the bagged lettuce. I remember when this story first came out last year (this article is actually just resurfacing the outbreak that happened in 2005), I was scared to eat salads. But, I love salads and they're so good for you. I guess all we can do is practice good hygiene and wash the products. I've seen those packages of "salad rinse" in the store, but they contain chemicals... probably the same thing they wash the bagged salad mix in?

jcc64 replied: I think you're right, Dee Dee. Salad is salad- I'm sure the risks are there regardless of the packaging. However, I do think it would be prudent for the food companies to remove the "thoroughly washed, no need to rinse" instructions from the packaging. Maybe that's the difference- people aren't washing the bagged salads???? And I didn't realize the salads were washed with BLEACH! Bleach is a known carcinogen- yikes, can you eat anything these days w/o being contaminated. Man, it's enough to make me grab for a twinkie.

coasterqueen replied: It's all the more reason why we went with organic, no chemials sprayed on our food, hence less risk to us .

gr33n3y3z replied:
yes they should and very well could be

coasterqueen replied:
Dh told me recently that eggs go through some sort of bleaching process as well. I never knew that.

jcc64 replied: Yeah, but at least you don't eat the shells, right?
We buy organic eggs all the time- but the salad- I have to be honest, we don't always spring for the organic. Having said that, organic produce is not immune from this particular problem. The bacteria is coming from the feces of animal waste, whether it be human or otherwise. One outbreak was traced to inadequate bathroom facilities for the migrant workers, who were forced to crap in the fields, which then leeched into the soil. Other times, it's from nearby farm animals. Either way, you can't anymore organic than poop- but that doesn't mean it won't make you sick.

coasterqueen replied:
Yeah I don't eat the shells, but still makes me leary.

I agree with what you said about the produce, organic or not. BUT if you grow it yourself, there is less of a chance, wouldn't there be? We can't bring ourselves to use manuere (sp?) on our garden.

I do think the chemicals used on produce can make a person sick, though.

CantWait replied:
You're right DeeDee, the only warning here for me is just to wash it yourself. I'm sure these bagged salads to contain the same viruses that any vegetable sitting on the shelf does.

CantWait replied:
Sorry Karen, I promise nothing gross

holley79 replied: I had a friend get very sick from bag salad. Death is not worth the convience. I just buy a head of lettece now.

DansMom replied: I found a bug in my box of organic baby spinach greens (Earthbound Farm). That was an unpleasant surprise, but did suggest that it was indeed organic After that, I'm big on thorough washing regardless of the statement that it's triple washed. I mostly go with romaine by the bunch, but occasionally buy bags of greens. I use this stuff called "Veggie Wash", and I soak it and swish it, then I rinse it, then I spin it. It's not soap per se---it contains citric acid (smells like lemon), and helps get rid of both organic matter AND pesticides that might be present. Does anyone else use this stuff?

coasterqueen replied:
Never heard of it Tracy. I'll have to look for it. Although we encounter the bug issue when we cut our lettuce out of the garden. But I think it would have freaked me out to find it in lettuce that I bought.

jcc64 replied:

you're not gonna get any arguments out of me on this, Karen. You know how I feel about this issue.