The truth behind ‘ready to eat’ salad: Expert reveals why ‘washed’ lettuce has almost 10 times the bacteria of loose leaves
- An Australian scientist has revealed why it’s important to wash bagged lettuce
- Glen Pinna found that the bagged produce has 9.5 million microbes per gram
- In comparison unwashed loose lettuce contains 470,000 microbes per gram
An Australian scientist has revealed the reason why you should always wash ‘ready to eat’ lettuce before consuming it.
Glen Pinna, from Biotech Laboratories, compared bagged lettuce which claims to be washed, with a fresh piece of produce.
The food expert then revealed the staggering amount of bacteria in the two different variations on the Today Show on Tuesday.
Glen found that unwashed loose lettuce contains 470,000 microbes per gram while bagged produce has 9.5 million microbes per gram.
An Australian scientist has revealed why you should always wash ‘ready to eat’ lettuce before consuming it (stock image)
‘The conditions they’re creating is really promoting the growth of bacteria,’ he said.
He continued: ‘Anything that you’re chopping up and putting into a bag and sealing and not holding under five degrees, those bugs are going to increase’.
Glen Pinna (left), from Biotech Laboratories, compared bagged lettuce to fresh produce and revealed the staggering amount of bacteria in the two different variations
Glenn also found that washed fresh lettuce has 63,000 microbes per gram while the unwashed produce had six times the amount of bacteria.
He went on to say that lettuce as well as leafy vegetables should be washed before being consumed.
He also found that microbes on apples, tomatoes and strawberries were not much different when washed or unwashed.
He found unwashed loose lettuce contains 470,000 microbes per gram (left) while bagged produce has 9.5 million microbes per gram (right)
According to NCBI, microbes are ‘tiny living things that are found all around us’ and ‘live in water, soil, and in the air’.
Microbes, which include bacteria, viruses and fungi, which can make individuals sick and some are responsible for diseases.
Some forms of bacteria need oxygen and a cold environment to survive while others love heat.