The popularity of pre-cut and packed fresh vegetables shows that people are increasingly becoming aware of eating healthy and also that people are too busy to prepare fresh food at home, thanks to their hectic lifestyles. Most health conscious people feel that they are eating healthy when they consume pre-packed salads. But, are they really healthy and safe?
UK’s food safety experts found that one in ten of the pre-packed salads; especially those containing meat or seafood were contaminated with listeria bacteria. They also found evidence of E.coli and Salmonella in some of the salad bags. These contaminated salad bags could lead to cases of food poisoning when consumed.
The manufacturers of these pre-packed salad bags say that they take all possible measures to prevent contamination and claim that their products are far more hygienic than fresh vegetables as consumers don’t take enough care to wash out all the bacteria.
The manufacturers say they have washed it and that you can eat it straight from the bag – to me that means that it should be safe to eat. But what we have learned from all these outbreaks is that it apparently isn’t.
says Professor Mike Doyle, director of the University of Georgia’s centre for Food Safety.
So, the choice is yours. You either buy fresh produce and spend a few minutes, washing and chopping them and feel safe and healthy or serve yourself a deadly dose of poisonous bacteria with the pre-cut salads.
