USDA Spinach Warning

The USDA has issued a warning over eating "freshly bagged spinach" due to an E. coli outbreak. This is a warning over eating fresh spinach that has "just gone bad" as quoted on the news this morning. This is kind of confusing, because if it's contaminated to begin with, it's CONTAMINATED TO BEGIN WITH! I think I'll just refrain from eating spinach period until the story seems to be straight on the news. That usually takes a little while as the day goes by. Memories of Jack-in-the-Box and 1993, UGH!

The spinach originated from California. I've avoided this packaging anyway. All produce should be carefully washed.

Thanks for the heads-up! <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

Oh Boy! Cheap spinach! This is just like the time there weren't any lines at Jack in the Box!

Does anyone know if the spinach came from Mexico?

You can check the latest updates by the FDA at www.fda.gov, including recommendations about what brands to specifically avoid. I'm sure that this information will change as the FDA gathers more data.

Somewhat ironically in light of your question, the FDA is saying that contaminated spinach may have been exported to Mexico from the US, not the other way around. Plenty of food gets contaminated right here in the US, although most incidents don't result in highly publicized recalls like this one.

According to several news reports the spinach was contaminated by "fecal" tainted water used for watering the plants. My question is if they knew the water was "tainted" why in the world did they still harvest the food and ship it to market???

Actually, that's still just one theory about how spinach can get contaminated with E. Coli, although the news keeps repeating it as if it were already established as fact. No one knows how or where the contamination started yet. That's why the FDA is telling Americans to avoid all fresh spinach because they really don't know. Obviously, all the spinach produced in the country from all these different farms can't possibly be contaminated, but the gov't can't narrow it down any further at the moment. The warning changes as new information is uncovered. The warnings started vague last week, got more specific, then just got more vague again today.

Some of the packaging was labeled as "Organic". Perhaps the natural fertilzer was contaminated.

would it be safe to eat if spinach is wash twice in light bleach?

No, that would not be advisible. The word here in the U.S. is to toss it, and that is exactly what is being done everywhere I have seen. Leafy greens, being highly susceptible to bacterial contamination to begin with, are difficult to decontaminate and salvage. The reasons some other contaminated fruits and vegetables can be salvaged easily by sanitizing with light bleach is that they can later be peeled and then cooked.

Yoduh, for Simon cooked greens is tasty. Simon especially likem turnip greens with vinegar on top and corn bread. But ailments of many kinds by Simon already faced. Bowels of Simon say "Keep it simple we must!" <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

heh heh, Canada has also been warned of the American import of spinach. Apparently 50% of the greens are imported from State-side. But all package spinach has been pulled from the shelves. Too bad, it makes a great salad. But perhaps like bean sprouts the samoenella might be inheritlly common for the packaged product.

Looks like it's been narrowed down to Natural Selection Foods LLC, packaging for Dole on a certain shift on August 15 at a San Juan Bautista, Calif. processing plant. At least that's where they're focusing.

Natural Selection Foods has recalled more than 30 brands, including Dole, President's Choice, Ready Pac, Trader Joe's, Nature's Basket and Premium Fresh.

I'd agree with Simon. IF you were going to eat it, boil the hell out of it. We weren't advised to eat leafy green when I lived overseas. Apples, potatoes, etc, we soaked in bleach. Oranges we peeled. The one leafy green we did eat was cabbage in corned beef cabbage stew. So, toss it if you don't feel safe, boil it and add lots of butter and salt to make it palatable if you're bold is my advice. But then "the worse vice is advice".

would the E.coli be killed if spinach is wash with water mix with bleach? Is this safe method ?
should one boil the spinach ? would boiling destroy the vitamins?

There is no guarantee, toss it for now, Picard. IMO, someone trying to rinse E. Coli out of raw spinach and then eat it without cooking it should be considered as having a death-wish.

Spinach contains water-soluble vitamins like other vegetables and like fruits and grains do. Therefore by boiling it, you lose alot of the vitamin content.

I suggest you go back and read real closely what has been posted on this thread again. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />