Last outbreak made many of us nervous of about spinach – and all raw greens. There’s reason for worry; uncooked fruits and vegetables are now major sources of contamination. Some things are beyond your control: in the spinach outbreak for example, washing didn’t make any difference – bacteria got inside the leaves through contaminated irrigation water. Still, there are steps you can take to cut your chances of getting sick.

For heads of greens Discard outer leaves, then wash your hands with hot, soapy water. Separate the rest of the leaves and wash them individually under cool running water.

For Package Precut lettuce Place greens in a colander and rinse. If the package says “ready to eat,” you don’t have to clean lettuce. The triple-wash process used by major packagers is even more effective than home rinsing. Make sure, though, that the bags have been keep chilled at the store and that they are within there “sell buy” date.

For all greens Keep refrigerated (at or below 40 degrees). Bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels at high temperatures.

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