Safe Handling of Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are leafy vegetables that are an important part of a healthy diet, as recommended by Canada's Food Guide. Leafy greens usually have crisp green leaves and stalks, and are often eaten raw or lightly cooked to preserve the nutrients. Popular types of leafy greens include lettuce, arugula, bok choy and spinach.

How can leafy greens become contaminated?

Fresh leafy greens and other fruits and vegetables do not naturally contain bacteria that can make you sick.

Leafy greens are grown close to the ground and the leaves can become contaminated in the field by soil, contaminated water, wild and domestic animals or improperly composted manure. Bacteria may also be transferred during and after harvest from handling, storing and transporting.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, including leafy greens, can also become contaminated with disease-causing bacteria when they come into contact with raw food items such as meat, poultry, seafood and their juices. Such contaminations can happen at the grocery store, in the shopping cart, in the refrigerator or from counters and cutting boards at home.

Because leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach, are often consumed uncooked or raw, they can be a source of foodborne illness.

How do I select leafy greens at the grocery store?

When purchasing leafy greens, look for leaves that are crisp and not wilted or brown.

Storing leafy greens

You should always store leafy greens in the refrigerator at 4ºC (40ºF) or less, where they can be kept for 5 to 7 days. Throw them away if their leaves become wilted or brown. Bagged, ready-to-eat, pre-washed leafy greens should also be refrigerated and used before the expiry date.

Cleaning and preparing leafy greens

Wash your leafy greens under fresh, cool running water. Remove outer leaves and make sure all the dirt is gone. Don't soak leafy greens in a sink full of water because the sink can harbour bacteria that can be transferred to the leafy greens.

Ready-to-eat, bagged, pre-washed leafy greens do not need to be washed again before eating. However, pre-cut or pre-washed leafy greens sold in open bags or containers should be washed before eating.

There is no need to use anything other than water when washing leafy greens. Produce washes may not completely remove or kill bacteria, viruses and parasites. Washing leafy greens gently under fresh, cool running water is at least as effective as using cleansers.

Foodborne Illness and Symptoms

Foodborne illness or food poisoning happens when a person gets sick from eating foods that are contaminated with microorganisms like bacteria, parasites or viruses. Some bacteria that are most commonly found in leafy greens are E. coli and Salmonella

The most common symptoms of foodborne illness include:

• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever

It is estimated that there are approximately 11 million cases of food-related illnesses in Canada every year. Many of these illnesses could be prevented by following proper food handling and preparation techniques.

What is the Government of Canada doing about the safety of fresh produce?

The Government of Canada and industry work together to help identify best practices that can be used to help prevent contamination of fresh produce throughout the food system, from the field to the store. In addition, inspection and enforcement activities conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency work to ensure that steps taken by producers, manufacturers and importers have been effective and that the foods available to Canadians are safe.

Additional food safety information can be found on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ,  Be Food Safe and Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education Web sites.