When fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle start looking less than fresh, there's pressure on the store to avoid waste and maintain profit by stocking their on-site salad bar.

Bruised tomatoes, sprouting onions, or wilted spinach can look farm-fresh after a quick peel and chop. Usually, the customer never knows the difference.

Your produce could be weeks or months past its pick date by the time it lands on the salad bar where, according to the FDA, leafy greens can stay up to seven days after being cut.

It's not just the veggies to watch out for. Additional toppings like feta cheese or crispy croutons can lose quality when they're left exposed to open air.