Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ food science and technology department and director of the Center for Food Safety, recently spoke with Well + Good about reasons consumers should consider rewashing pre-washed bagged produce.
First, the prewashing at food packaging facilities may not be effective enough.
“It’s not entirely necessary to wash them, but if the consumer has time, it is advisable to do it. Remember that even the washing done before packing is not 100% effective, so an additional washing by the consumer may help to reduce the risk even further,” he said.
Second, produce, in particular, is at high risk for contamination that can cause foodborne illnesses.
Third, consumers can better control how clean the washing environment is at home.
A better way is to buy whole lettuce and clean it with a salad spinner.