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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Fecal bacteria found in some prewashed salad, Consumer Reports says
Tests conducted by Consumer Reports magazine show that Packaged salad can contain high levels of bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination, the magazine announced today, Feb. 2.
The story appears in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale today.
Consumers Union, which publishes the magazine, today also issued a report urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set safety standards for greens and noted that FDA food safety legislation pending in the Senate — and passed last summer by the House of Representatives — would require the FDA to create just such safety standards, according to the news release.
What can you do to minimize the risk? Consumer Reports offers these suggestions:
— Buy packages far from their use-by date.
— Wash the greens even if the packages say “prewashed” or “triplewashed.” Rinsing won’t remove all bacteria but may remove residual soil.
— Prevent cross contamination of greens by keeping them away from raw meat and poultry.
Count me among those who do not bother to wash bagged and prewashed salad greens. I can’t seem to dry the lettuce off enough, even with a salad spinner, and the salad dressing then tastes watered down. But DO also count me among those who root around in the produce section to find the freshest bags, based on their “farthest out” sell-by date.
I may have to revisit my salad spinner — or wait for spring, when local farmers markets will start selling good, locally grown (and sometimes gloriously NOT prewashed) lettuce and other salad fixings.
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TweetToday only, Dayton cafe rolls back prices to 1940s
As we mentioned in this space last week, Culp’s Cafe, 1000 Carillon Boulevard at Carillon Historical Park, will offer some menu items at 1940s-era prices today, Feb. 2.
Specials available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today will include 10-cent coffee and soft drinks, 25-cent ice cream and 35-cent sandwiches and hot specials, according to Jeff Blumer, owner of Bellyfire Catering, which manages Culp’s.
(One reader who described himself as “Oldtimer” said in the comments section to that earlier story that actual 1940s prices were even lower, but hey, they’re close … .)
The cafe is reminiscent of the original Culp’s Cafeteria, which was located in the Arcade in Downtown Dayton from the 1930s to the 1960s. The original Culp’s would serve as many as 5,000 customers a day, and diners could eat lunch for 35 cents, Blumer said.
For more information, call (937) 299-2277.
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