Forgot to wash spinach - would you still eat the meal?

[dortisa]

I completely forgot to wash the spinach before putting it in the curry. It was a Gousto meal and said on the packet of spinach to wash before use. Still fine to eat, right? My friend thinks not!

I also wash bagged salad a spinach after my SIL who worked in a food processing plant told me some horror stories about the bacteria they may contain (she's not fussy or prone to exaggeration either). If it's spinach in a curry and it's been brought through the boil I think you'll be fine though.

I've been hit and miss sometimes with washing veg, then I started getting gousto boxes and because it said wash it on the packet I did 😁. Jeez the shit that comes off it, especially spinach, I don't think it would harm you as such, but honestly just try washing it in a bowl and see what comes off.

I've been chucking spinach in smoothies without washing it for a few weeks

Am going to start washing....

Did you miss the words "when eaten raw"?

I don't wash any fruit or veg.

I had cryptosporosis from unwashed spinach - 3 weeks of really awful diarrhea. It's a parasite so I would imagine cooking would kill it.

But you definitely can get ill from unwashed salad!

I would normally wash it, but I’d still eat it if l forgot.

You can get food poisoning from fruit and veg including spinach and salad leaves. No need for scepticism. It's a fact.

@marcopront

Did you miss the word "especially "
😄

Have you seen the reports on all the bacteria on salad leaves?? Ecoli, salmonella, all the baddies

Salmonella and e-coli aren’t killed by a perfunctory rinse under the cold tap though, which is what most washers do when they wash vegetables and salad. I highly doubt many people soak their produce overnight in a dilute of acetic and citric acids, which is what’s required to kill the pathogens if not cooking.

Neither do I. I'm in my 60s. My dcs never had upset stomachs or vomming.

You won't get food poisoning but your curry might be gritty which is not nice. I know, its happened to me.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-that-cause-food-poisoning#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

number 2 is veggies/leafy greens.

Vegetables and leafy greens can become contaminated with harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. This can occur across various stages of the supply chain.
Contamination can occur from unclean water and dirty runoff, which can leach into the soil that fruits and vegetables are grown in
It can also occur from dirty processing equipment and unhygienic food preparation practices. Leafy greens are especially risky because they are often consumed raw

In fact, between 1973 and 2012, 85% of the food poisoning outbreaks in the US that were caused by leafy greens such as cabbage, kale, lettuce and spinach were traced back to food prepared in a restaurant or catering facility

(I'm in the states so ymmv, not sure if its more problematic here than in your area.)

From Medical News Today

Officials from the CDC have emphasized that their report should not discourage people from consuming vegetables. Most of the vegetable-related sicknesses came from norovirus, often passed by food handlers and cooks. Therefore, contamination is more related to how the kitchen or restaurant handles the food, rather than the actual food itself.