Ready-made salads are often loaded with germs
In the case of ready-cut lettuce is also problematic germs stuck frequently in the bag. The investigation of the Max-Rubner-Institute (MRI) in Karlsruhe confirmed.
A total of six percent of the ready-to-eat mixed salads were contaminated, therefore, with bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella or Escherichia coli. These germs can cause diseases in humans.
The microbiological quality of ready-made salads rated the experts in their report as “unsatisfactory” one. 42 percent of the samples were, therefore, of the German society for Hygiene and Microbiology recommended value for the total number of bacteria. In part, also set warning values have been exceeded. Also in the case of the examined shoots, total number of bacteria was very high.
Thus, the Institute, according to the Federal research Institute for nutrition and food is not excluded, a health risk to the consumer.
To compound the problem, consumers consume the chopped salads directly, without washing them beforehand. That pre-cut leaf salads and sprouts contain pathogens, were also shown in other studies in the past.
No Problem with cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms
In the MRI study, a total of 600 fresh vegetable products have been investigated. The microbiological quality of the cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms was consistently good, the kitchen herbal acceptable. The microbiological quality of head, leaf and Lettuce was assessed as good to medium.
The Institute recommends:
- Not sprouts to be consumed raw, but blanch always.
- To store ready-to-eat mixed salads as short as possible and a maximum at four degrees Celsius.
- To eat these salads after Opening the package immediately.