Beware E.coli danger from bagged spinach!

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Food safety expert offers advice on avoiding E coli infection from bagged spinach.
The US Food and Drug Administration issued an alert recently when a serious outbreak of E coli food poisoning was traced to bagged spinach. Leafy green vegetables, like spinach, are a good source of vitamins and fiber, so we should be including them in our diet as often as possible. Spinach and other greens in bagged form are popular and handy - but how can we eat them and stay safe?

Sam Beattie, a food safety expert at Iowa State University, offers some guidance on buying bagged spinach. You have to accept that such products can't be thermally processed to get rid of E coli and that spinach, and other greens, grow in an environment where bacterial contamination is the norm. Most of the bacteria won't hurt you at all, but E coli can be dangerous. So be safe by buying only from reputable stores with a 'first in, first out' inventory method that ensures bagged produce doesn't get old. Check the date on the bag and check the produce visually for brown leaves, wilted leaves, water; a swollen bag is a clear danger sign. Keep your bagged spinach cold after purchase; washing will freshen it up, but won't remove bacteria.

Source
Iowa State University 16th September 2006

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