GUEST POST: Don’t forget to wash the salad!
by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
Dr Fox is a fully accredited online pharmacy run by NHS GPs.
This time of year we are all eating lots of salad. But should we wash our salad? Even when the salad label reads ‘prewashed and ready to eat?’
According to the NHS, the answer – is yes!
Why wash salad?
Take a look at the following reasons to wash your salad –
Salad contains food poisoning microorganisms
Salad is a breeding ground for many different pathogens including salmonella, E.Coli, norovirus, hepatitis, giardia, cryptosporidium, toxoplasma, yersinia and listeria. In 2024, at least 86 people were admitted to hospital with food poisoning that originated from eating salad leaves. These cases came from sandwiches that contained contaminated lettuce leaves.
In one study, 60% of those questioned said they knew salad was a high risk for food poisoning, but only 17% bothered to wash it. 65% said they didn’t think it was necessary, 25.4% said they forgot, and 4.2% said they didn’t have enough time. A surprisingly high number – 1 in 10 – said they had felt unwell after eating salad!
Who is at high risk from contaminated salad?
Unwashed salad can pose a risk to anyone, but those most at risk include children, the elderly, and those who are immuno-compromised such as anyone with cancer, on chemotherapy or steroids. Those with medical conditions such as HIV, diabetes or chronic heart or lung disease are also more at risk. However, everyone should be aware of the risk so they can take steps to keep themselves infection-free.
Salad can become contaminated at any step of the process
Salad grows in the fields and the gardens. It can become contaminated at any step of the process – from the soil, manure, water used for irrigation, handling, equipment and storage.
The NHS recommends rewashing all prewashed salads and vegetables before use. This is an important part of food preparation to help reduce gastroenteritis (food poisoning).
Prewashing with disinfectant only kills 90% of organisms
Although prewashed salad is washed with chlorine as a disinfectant, and then rinsed with pure water, this kills over 90% of bacteria, but many remain. Rewashing salad at home provides an additional opportunity to remove any organisms. It also removes any traces of pesticides or fertilisers.
Wash salad – but always dry it too
For best results, after washing or rewashing, always dry lettuce leaves before eating. If you leave them to stay damp, this encourages the growth of bacteria and mould. I would advise always drying salad leaves in a salad spinner because spinning the lettuce creates a centrifugal force that physically pulls the water and any pathogens away from the leaves.”
Top tips to reduce the risk of food poisoning from salad
- Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing salad and dry them on a clean towel.
- Keep salad in the fridge and eat it before the ‘use by’ date.
- Use a separate chopping board and knives for meat.
- Soak the salad in a bowl of clean water for about 30 seconds. Agitate it in the water to help[ dislodge any dirt or particles. There is no need to add salt, vinegar, lemon juice or anything else.
- Strain the lettuce through a colander and place it in a salad spinner. Spin for 10 -20 seconds to allow the water to be pulled from the leaves and collected in the base of the spinner. Put the salad in a bowl and continue with your recipe.
- Also wash other salad vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions and peppers. These can be dried in the salad spinner or with a clean kitchen towel.
- Don’t eat raw, unpasteurised milk products such as cheese or yoghurt as this is a high risk for listeria.
Final thoughts
In our busy lives, we may think we haven’t got time to wash and dry salad, but in fact, as is always the case, prevention is better than cure. Finding the few minutes it takes to wash and dry salad is a small thing you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe this summer.