How Safe Are Triple-Washed Greens To Eat?

Once, twice, or three times washed greens should mean that they are super clean. But are they? Those leaves of arugula, spinach, frisée, and the like have been washed more than you probably shower, but most shoppers know that inspecting a bagged salad's quality is imperative to ensure it is truly fresh. So, what exactly does "triple-washed" mean? If you pick up a package of bagged lettuce with this coveted label, it means your salad-making ingredients have been washed three times before being packaged up. We are talking spa-level cleaning. You can dig right in and start noshing on them.

How does it work? Each wash cycle has a purpose. The first pass is the most rigorous to get rid of any gritty soil, bugs, and the like that might be stuck to the leaves of lettuce. The second wash takes these greens to a new sink where they are washed using a heavy-duty, EPA-approved sanitizer that ensures no contamination happens between washes one and two. And just to be triple sure that everything has been removed, and because the third time is a charm, the leaves go through another washing that uses a lighter sanitizer. They are then dried, packaged up, and ready to hit the produce aisle.

However, nothing is foolproof. While triple-washed or ready-to-eat greens are clean, and the washing process gets rid of 99% of bacteria, there is still the potential that something like E. coli can still contaminate your veggies. This happens when water that has been compromised is soaked up by the roots of the leafy plants, and even the smallest amount can make a salad eater sick. That said, the industrial process triple-washed greens go through is far better than what you can do at home.

Should you wash your triple-washed greens before making that Caesar salad or strawberry spinach salad to eradicate that 1% possibility? The answer is no. You could actually contaminate your greens with dirty sink water or if they come in contact with a dirty surface. So, the next time you buy a bag of spinach or romaine lettuce with a "triple washed" stamp, feel confident that it is clean and ready to use.