Food - News
Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Pre-Washed Lettuce
By HANNAH BEACH
Eating a well-rounded meal can be difficult when you're short on time, and pre-washed foods like lettuce seem like an easy solution. However, these products usually cost more, and once you know what's lurking among those supposedly clean leaves, you'd probably rather wash your lettuce yourself.
While pre-washed lettuce may sound great, you can’t know when it was washed and how many people have touched it since then. As one nutritionist explained to Well and Good, "The less hands on your greens, the better," so it's far safer to wash your produce yourself, even if it's annoying.
Pre-washed lettuce and other greens are often recalled due to contamination by E. coli and listeria, which can cause serious illness and even death, as seen during Dole's massive listeria outbreak at the end of 2021. At the end of the day, it's better to err on the side of caution and wash your lettuce yourself.