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Safety Precautions for Salad Packaging

Since Upton Sinclair published his groundbreaking novel "The Jungle" to expose the threat to human health posed by the meatpacking industry in 1906, food safety in the United States has become a movement unto itself. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food production and safety precautions in food manufacturing. Advances in technology and increased food safety vigilance minimized the contamination of salad greens and decreased the incidence of foodborne illness.

  1. Multiple Washes

    • You might see salad packages boast their contents were "triple washed" or are "washed and ready to eat." This means the salad greens were inspected and rinsed prior to packaging and sealing, which radically decreases the chance of ingesting a stray insect or germ from the manufacturing plant. Packaged salad greens do not require that you wash them before you eat them, but there is no harm in giving your processed salad green a quick rinse and a couple of turns in a salad spinner to maintain your peace of mind.

    Proper Refrigeration

    • The Code of Federal Regulations stipulates that food requiring refrigeration be maintained at a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Maintaining the proper temperature for foods that require refrigeration, such as salad greens, inhibits the growth of bacteria, which reproduce rapidly in warm, moist environments. Refrigerating salad greens also prolongs their shelf life, preventing spoilage prior to the expiration date listed on the packaging.

    Plastic Packaging

    • Salad greens are packaged in plastic, which is cheap to manufacture, easy to sterilize, and foodsafe at cold temperatures. Salad greens sold in plastic bags allow air to flow through the bag, keeping salad greens fresh, while creating a barrier against contaminants in the air and on surfaces. Salads sold in plastic boxes let the consumer re-seal the package with its removable lid, prolonging the life of the contents and keeping germs and dirt out. Clear plastic packaging also allows the consumer to see and assess the freshness of the salad contents within.

    Preventing Cross-Contamination

    • The Code of Federal Regulations also establishes clear guidelines for preventing cross-contamination in the manufacture of foods, such as salad greens. Cross-contamination results when unsafe substances, such as waste material, raw meat, or unclean food production surfaces, and industrial tools come into contact with food products prior to packaging. Raw meat is packaged with a warning that lets the consumer know it needs to be fully cooked to eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, but salad greens do not receive the same treatment because they do not need to be cooked to be edible. According to the FDA, cross-contamination should be prevented by ensuring all steps and procedures of the manufacturing process are kept separate and that tools, belts, and surfaces are cleaned regularly.

    Expiration Dates

    • An expiration date is clearly stamped on each package of salad greens in compliance with FDA food safety standards. These expiration dates are conservative so that as few people as possible become ill from eating old salad greens; you can expect the salad is still edible for a few days after the expiration date. The expiration date is the date, after opening, that the FDA recommends you discard any uneaten portion of the salad greens.

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