Consumer Reports examined more than 200 packages to find out. The salad greens were bought in the New York metro area and covered 16 brands, including Dole, Earthbound Farm Organic, and Fresh Express.
The tests were done at an outside lab and didn't find disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli, listeria, or salmonella. But they did detect other bacteria—total coliforms and enterococcus—that are indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination. There are no federal standards for those organisms in salads, but Consumer Reports says that there should be.
Of the 208 bags tested, there were relatively high levels of total coliforms in 39 percent of the salads, and enterococcus in 23 percent.
Most brands had at least one package with elevated levels. But even within the same brand, results varied widely.
It didn't matter whether the salads came in a clamshell or a bag. But the ones with higher levels of bacteria tended to contain spinach or be within five days of their use-by date.
Even rinsing them at home won't get rid of all the bacteria, though it will remove dirt. Your best bet is to buy the freshest produce you can. Consumer Reports found that the cleanest greens were at least six days away from their use-by date.
Stricter produce safety standards may be on the way. The Senate is considering a bill that would require the Food and Drug Administration to set standards for the types of bacteria that Consumer Reports found in its tests of bagged salad.
