Is Bagged Salad at Risk of Listeria? What to Know and How to Recognize It According to The Expert

In the last few months, several batches of bagged salad have been recalled due to the risk of contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found almost everywhere: in soil, in contaminated water, and in the intestines of animals.

For this reason, it can also end up in food at any level of the production chain: from the land where we grow, to the work surface, on the tools or utensils used in the food industry, or in the home environment, where you prepare your dishes.

All The Answers to Your Doubts About Listeria

What are the risky foods and the symptoms of listeria? How can we defend ourselves from this bacterium? Here are all the answers to these and other questions.

What is Listeria?

Listeria is an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium is present in nature, in soil and water, and can contaminate a wide range of foods. It has filaments called flagella, which allow it to move in aqueous environments and contaminate soil, water and inside the intestines of animals. For this reason, it can end up in food, at any level of the production chain: from crop fields to work tables, tools and utensils used in the food industry, but also in the home environment, where you prepare your dishes.

Listeria: Can It Grow Inside Our Refrigerator?

One of the most insidious characteristics of this bacterium is that it is able to survive at low temperatures. While many other bacteria do not survive at low temperatures, listeria is able to multiply even inside the refrigerator, especially if the temperature is not low enough (ideally, keep it below 4°C).

What Are the Symptoms And Complications of Listeria?

If you eat food contaminated with listeria, it can turn into listeriosis. The symptoms of listeriosis can vary from person to person and are often nonspecific, that is, similar to those of other infections. They can include fever, nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, neck stiffness, confusion.

Who is at Risk for Complications?

In subjects with an efficient immune system it has no particular long-term effects, but in subjects at risk, especially immunocompromised subjects, the elderly and newborns, the infection can manifest itself with more serious symptoms, such as meningitis, encephalitis and septicemia, which can lead to death. Pregnant women must also be careful, because the infection can lead to premature births or even abortions.

What are The Foods at High Risk of Listeria Contamination?

The main vehicle for the transmission of listeriosis is food. The bacterium can contaminate a wide range of foods, including undercooked meats, especially minced or minced meats, unpasteurized dairy products (soft cheeses, raw milk), raw vegetables (if they have not been thoroughly washed), raw or undercooked seafood, but also ready – to-eat foods (cured meats, pates, smoked meats, delicatessen products made with mayonnaise or other sauces, etc.).

How to Reduce the Risk of Listerosis?

To reduce the risk of listeriosis there are a series of rules to follow: regularly clean the kitchen, worktops, tools such as cutting boards and the refrigerator, cook food thoroughly, especially meat, wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly  before consumption.

In addition to this, it is necessary to maintain the correct temperature in the refrigerator, but also to store food properly inside it, avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, respect the expiration dates and storage methods indicated on the labels, wash your hands often, especially before handling food.

A mistake that many people make, for example, is to consume raw some products that should instead be eaten only after being cooked, such as sausages.

Is Bagged Salad Bad for You?

Bagged salad can be eaten without any worries: before being sold, the product is subjected to a series of washes to ensure its healthiness. For this reason, recalls sometimes occur, which are almost always preventive: there is a control system that, if the entire procedure is not respected, triggers an alarm.

Should I Wash Bagged Salad?

Bagged salad does not necessarily need to be washed, unless it is explicitly stated on the label. If the label says "product washed and ready to eat" you can safely eat it without washing it. In any case, here are some tips to follow before consuming.

• Avoid packages with excessive and abnormal swelling, which indicate the possibility of bacterial proliferation. This does not mean that there should be no air, because what you find inside is not really "air", but a series of inert and harmless gases for us, which serve precisely to guarantee some characteristics of the product, such as crunchiness. A swollen bag is fine, but if it seems almost on the verge of bursting, it is better to leave that product alone.
• Avoid packaging with a lot of condensation: the droplets are an ideal environment for the listeria bacteria to nest and grow.
• Try to maintain the cold chain: if possible, go shopping with a cool bag.

Also remember that some groups, such as pregnant women, are advised against eating certain raw foods such as vegetables, as a further precaution.