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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think a "washed and ready to eat" bag of salad leaves SHOULDN'T have mud in it?

21 replies

DoesItWearingWellies · 05/08/2011 20:44

Okay, it was only 5 leaves from a huge bag, and obviously I can wash the mud off myself (which I did), but I thought the whole point was the convenience of just opening the bag and plonking it arranging it neatly on a plate?

OP posts:

onemoreminute · 05/08/2011 20:47

I always wash mine anyway but my husband would have had a cheese and mud sandwich eww.

LordOfTheFlies · 05/08/2011 20:49

Nor, IMHO should they have little green caterpillars in them.
But mine did!

Didn't eat it BTW

Mitmoo · 05/08/2011 20:52

Take it back to the store, they will get fined thousands for that. I have a child with OCD and checks all of the food he puts in the basket. Store managers have given him a fortune over the years for pointing out, out of date stuff and substandard food, and offered him work when he reaches 16!!

Bearcat · 05/08/2011 20:54

Oh please don't tell me that, you'll freak me out!
DH has always told me to wash the lettuce and I always wash the hearts of romaine, but never the very expensive rocket.
You've just reminded me of the time when I made some salad as a teenager, and possibly didn't wash or washed very quickly the lettuce that had many greenfly to munch in the salad.
Thought we had moved on from that in 2011 (unless you've got an allotment of course)

DrPolidori · 05/08/2011 21:05

I have learnt, to my cost (have a cafe) to wash all salad material three times, with spinning in between each wash.

I am not an OCD person. But I can't risk customers getting dirty lettuce!

HopeEternal · 05/08/2011 21:08

I always wash all veg and fruit no matter what it says on the label.

Birdsgottafly · 05/08/2011 21:17

If they lie about the washed bit, though, what else do they lie about?

squeakytoy · 05/08/2011 21:21

mine had bugs crawling around in it, clearly visible through the packaging.. luckily I noticed as I put in on the belt at the till... I handed it to the cashier and said "I dont think I want the live food in this".. he smiled and said "but its extra protein"..

iscream · 05/08/2011 21:26

I found little green maggots on some fresh broccoli.
Unfortunately, it was leftover from the night before...when dh and I had raw (unwashed) broccoli and dip.

RevoltingPeasant · 05/08/2011 21:27

Hmm we get out veg from a local organic farm so mud is par for the course

A bit at taking it back - if it was a slug, maybe, but it's only dirt. Just wash it off, fgs.

I can't be arsed to wash the spinach I'm using to make my salad tonight. ho hum!

RevoltingPeasant · 05/08/2011 21:27

iscream - probably caterpillars rather than maggots?

iscream · 05/08/2011 21:27

Maybe organic has higher risk of bugs?

nbee84 · 05/08/2011 21:28

Am I really awful? - I often eat fruit or veg without washing it

MadameLupino · 05/08/2011 21:29

Are you not supposed to wash it anyway as it's 'washed' and dried with chemicals? Was that in Fast Food Nation? Off to goggle.

RevoltingPeasant · 05/08/2011 21:32

iscream yes, likely, there was a slug in our lettuce last week. Blech! But I just picked off that leaf (and the slug) and washed the rest. Twas fine.

It'd make sense if organic had more bugs because they are not using chemical pesticides, right...

notlettingthefearshow · 05/08/2011 21:37

Apparently you are supposed to wash it anyway - certainly when you are pregnant, I was advised by mw. Seems completely ridiculous because why would you buy the expensive, prepared stuff if it's not prepared!

Anyway, I don't usually bother washing it. Not been ill so far.

MadameLupino · 05/08/2011 21:40

I can't find the link for the chemical drying (though I am convinced I have read it) but lots of lovely reports on high bacteria and fecal content found. All wriggling away in the bag .

Original poster

DoesItWearingWellies · 05/08/2011 21:49

I can't take it back as the mud was washed off and eaten , but I have heard that washed salads were washed in a chlorine solution then rinsed, although I'm not sure how true this is.

But as notletting said, why should you have to prepare the pre-prepared stuff?

Everything else gets washed though - tomatoes, cucumber, peppers if being eaten raw, celery, carrots...although apples straight from the tree aren't, nor are plums, or DD1's tomatoes, which I suppose is kind of odd now i'm thinking about it as although there are no pesticides on them, an insect could have pooed on them!

OP posts:

oldraver · 05/08/2011 23:53

I found a green caterpillar crawling just outside my salad/veg bin (in the fridge) I reckon it was the organic Rocket I seem addicted partial too

iscream · 06/08/2011 03:40

RevoltingPeasant, Maybe it was a caterpillar! :) Somehow, that is not quite as gross to me as maggots. They were tiny and green.
I saw a guy on tv talking about store salads, and he said to wash even the ready-to-eat ones.

wearenotinkansas · 06/08/2011 08:38

I found a little critter on my plate after I'd eaten most of the "washed" rocket and watercress salad.

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