"Salad Industry on Hunt for Solution To Tainted Greens"

"With the specter of past deadly poisonings, the food industry steps up its quest for clean salad greens, testing various industrial washes and other methods like ultrasound."



"Salinas, Calif. -- For millions of Americans, bagged salads are a miracle food, the perfect mix of health and convenience.

Time-pressed cooks can rip open a bag and pour the leaves right into the bowl, reassured by the "triple-washed" label that some wondrous process has rendered these greens squeaky clean and ready for dinner.

They don't want to think about E. coli O157:H7. And the salad industry doesn't want them thinking about it either.

That's why the safety of bagged greens has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in today's fresh produce business. It's why industry and government are investing millions to avoid debacles such as the death of 30 people last year after eating poorly washed, listeria-laced cantaloupe."

Deborah Schoch reports for the CHCF Center for Health Reporting in the Los Angeles Times January 30, 2012.

Source: CHCF/LA Times, 01/30/2012