When emphasizing fresh, seasonal food, a healthy eating pattern can be both delicious and nouraging. Including fruits and vegetables in your meals is one of the easiest approaches to do so—that of a salad. We can get why, though, if you're reluctant to start with romaine lettuce.
So is eating romaine lettuce safe? We are dissecting the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on knowledge prior to leafy green purchase.
The CDC claims that many foodborne diseases found in the United States are connected to microorganisms on raw fruits and vegetables. This covers the transmission of Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, norovirus, and more.
Foodborne disease can cause severe symptoms in sensitive groups such those age 65 and above, immunocompromised adults, young children less than five years old, and pregnant women.
Though the headlines give the impression that all romaine is hiding disease-causing bacteria, the reality is less interesting.
"Millions of servings of leafy greens are eaten safely daily in the United States," says the CDC. Should you be eating raw romaine lettuce—or any fruit or vegetable for that matter—you should be washing your produce before eating it.
To help eliminate any surface dirt, germs, and bacteria, wash your raw food according to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommendations before cooking or consuming.
Washing your hands and surfaces that you want for the green to come into touch with is the first step in correctly cleaning your lettuce.
Eliminate bruised or torn leaves; next, under running water, carefully wash the lettuce (you don't need to use specific produce-cleaning products).
Your lettuce is ready to eat once it dries under a fresh kitchen towel or paper towel. That is all it takes to stop dangerous infections from invading your kitchen, food, or body.