Stop Eating Bagged Spinach Now!

[monsoon 0]

Apparently a deadly outbreak of E-coli has been discovered in these bags and it has already killed one person and made at least 60 others very sick. The FDA has warned everyone to stop eating this spinach. It's not even safe to cook it. So if you have this stuff either throw it out or take it back to the grocery store. I would do this with any fresh produce bagged like this.

I gave up on this bagged produce a few months ago when the local television outlet tested some at a lab and found high levels of bacteria on everything they bought in the store. They suggested that you wash the contents of these bags before you eat them. Since this defeats the reason for getting greens in a bag in the first place I've gone back to buying heads and washing it myself. (that is when it isn't coming out of my backyard garden)

[Cotuit 0]

I hate bagged produce, it's always slimy and bad tasting, I gave up too. And there's something just wrong about buying prepakaged produce.

[suburban george3 1]

The only reason I liked the bagged "salad" produce is that living single and travelling as much as I do it was convenient and less likely for me to have excess spoilage. So, I'll either be washing or eating much more leafy greens!

[Cotuit 0]

I've always found bagged produce to be pre-spoiled, not to last any longer than non-pre-packaged.

[Jerseyman4 0]

I can see a parady being made about this spinich incident in this sunday's New York Times

[monsoon 0]

Popeye's spinach came out of a can. It's something they don't sell anymore as far as I know, but if they did it would not have this problem as the canning process would easily kill this bacteria.

[TBurban 74]

I used to make homemade Spinach Dip, using a circle loaf of Focaccia Bread. Id cut out the middle, and fill it with the dip. Unfortunately, I used the bagged spinach......no more spinach dip

[suburban george3 1]

frozen spinach is a good alternative....

[TBurban 74]

frozen spinach is a good alternative....

Oh sure, I guess I have no choice. But it wont be the same Im just shocked that this hadnt been discovered earlier in the years. How long has this been going on? Ive been eating bagged spinach for quite some time.

[Snowguy716 0]

It shows you how lax our food laws are. In Europe you never have to worry about these things because their standards for food quality are so much higher.

Hell, you can eat raw ground hamburger from the butcher and not worry about it.

But, with E Coli... it's so unneccesary.

Basically, E Coli comes from the digestive system of animals. So, that spinach you're eating.. has crap on it. And when you cook it, and the E Coli is killed (like with most meats).. you're simply eating cooked crap.

Makes me want a Big Mac covered with spinach.

[monsoon 0]

Oh sure, I guess I have no choice. But it wont be the same Im just shocked that this hadnt been discovered earlier in the years. How long has this been going on? Ive been eating bagged spinach for quite some time.

It's been known for some time this pre-washed bagged produce has bacteria on it and it has made people sick before, but not to this level. A moist environment such as that inside those bags, is a perfect environment for these little critters to grow when they are stuffed into the bags. The washing process does not steralize the bag so there is always going to be bacteria and mold spores in these bags. The food producers have quietly recommended that you still wash this stuff before you eat it, but then that defeats the purpose of it in the first place. There are a lot of negatives to this method of selling food including all the waste it generates and the energy that that is wasted in the process.

If you want to eat healthy, try go obtain food that has had the least amount of processing done to it and is grown as close as possible to your home. It's not always convenient, but it is better for you, better for the environment, and is almost always safer.

[TBurban 74]

It's been known for some time this pre-washed bagged produce has bacteria on it and it has made people sick before, but not to this level. A moist environment such as that inside those bags, is a perfect environment for these little critters to grow when they are stuffed into the bags. The washing process does not steralize the bag so there is always going to be bacteria and mold spores in these bags. The food producers have quietly recommended that you still wash this stuff before you eat it, but then that defeats the purpose of it in the first place. There are a lot of negatives to this method of selling food including all the waste it generates and the energy that that is wasted in the process.

If you want to eat healthy, try go obtain food that has had the least amount of processing done to it and is grown as close as possible to your home. It's not always convenient, but it is better for you, better for the environment, and is almost always safer.

Looks like Ill be takin' a trip to the ole' farm stand today

[Cadeho 10]

Hell, you can eat raw ground hamburger from the butcher and not worry about it.

Not really! I read an account from a guy who after eating a raw beef meal in Europe, ended up with a tapeworm... well at least it's not bacteria!

I would have a garden, but I don't have a green thumb, or tolerance for bugs. Maybe we can start having a new form of Victory Gardens so that when corporations have big blunders like this with our food, then we know we have a safe alternative.

[suburban george3 1]

Hell, you can eat raw ground hamburger from the butcher and not worry about it.

Umm, don't I remember a European outbreak of "Mad Cow" disease in the past few years??

[Charlotteman 13]

I remember when the FDA came out and said produce should be washed (ideally) three times with soap and water before eaten.

When I see people eating an apple they just bought off the shelf (unwashed) it makes me cringe~

[monsoon 0]

Umm, don't I remember a European outbreak of "Mad Cow" disease in the past few years??

Indeed and there was foot and mouth disease too. A few years ago I was returning from Europe and they had special provisions for anyone that had been to a farm because they didn't want the disease imported into the USA. The diseases came from the practice of feeding cattle the left overs from beef processing.

[mcheiss 1]

It's been known for some time this pre-washed bagged produce has bacteria on it and it has made people sick before, but not to this level. A moist environment such as that inside those bags, is a perfect environment for these little critters to grow when they are stuffed into the bags. The washing process does not steralize the bag so there is always going to be bacteria and mold spores in these bags. The food producers have quietly recommended that you still wash this stuff before you eat it, but then that defeats the purpose of it in the first place. There are a lot of negatives to this method of selling food including all the waste it generates and the energy that that is wasted in the process.

If you want to eat healthy, try go obtain food that has had the least amount of processing done to it and is grown as close as possible to your home. It's not always convenient, but it is better for you, better for the environment, and is almost always safer.

I've never eaten bagged lettuce or spinach and never will.

I used to work in Customer Service at Wal-Mart, and one time a lady returned a bag of lettuce that she bought literally minutes ago. The bag was full of maggots and reaked.

[kayman 0]

This mess is reason numero uno as to why I don't buy bagged produce. Whenever you purchase anything in a bag from the produce, you put yourself at a 10x greater risk of getting sick.

[Cadeho 10]

But even if you buy it or not, if you stop by the salad bar or eat at a restaurant, most likely, they aren't cracking open a head of lettuce and slicing those tomatoes.

[suburban george3 1]

But even if you buy it or not, if you stop by the salad bar or eat at a restaurant, most likely, they aren't cracking open a head of lettuce and slicing those tomatoes.

a lot of restaurants use prepackaged sliced produce, I think Subway is a good example. I don't know about tomatoes and cukes, they'd turn a lot quicker. But, still something to be concerned about.

[runawayjim 0]

the fda is now saying to avoid fresh spinach.

i usually eat the bagged stuff because i don't eat enough of it to buy fresh living alone and all. i guess i'll have to find another way to get my veggies.

[DigitalSky 5]

Does anyone grow their own spinach? or produce, for that matter...

[TBurban 74]

Does anyone grow their own spinach? or produce, for that matter...

Ive tried in the past. Unfortunately, my backyard backs up to a forest. Im sure the squirrels and rabbits enjoyed my tomatoes and lettuce.

[kayman 0]

a lot of restaurants use prepackaged sliced produce, I think Subway is a good example. I don't know about tomatoes and cukes, they'd turn a lot quicker. But, still something to be concerned about.

I rarely eat out, so it wouldn't affect me either way. If I do eat out it is Subway, but I tell them no lettuce, tomatoes, or anything vegetables on my sandwich.. I mostly definitely avoid the salad bar at any restaurant or buffet anyways. My mom used to work at a county health department and has told me everything nasty and unsanitary about restaurants, cafeterias, and buffets. I don't ever fool with that mess.

[monsoon 0]

http://cgi.ebay.com/BAG-O-SPINACH-Might-be...1QQcmdZViewItem