FOOD NEWS
Why You Should Inspect That Bag Of Salad Greens Before Buying It
By Matthew Wilson
While grocery stores abide by best-sold-by dates, some shoppers have shared stories of finding rotten salad mix on the shelves, so you should inspect the bag before buying it.
There are tell-tale signs that spinach may be less than ideal to consume. If it's wilted or slimy, you should reconsider buying the bag since spinach turns slimy as it rots.
Bagged salads generally begin to spoil toward the bottom of the bag, so look there first. It's also a bit of a misreported myth that spoiled salad mix will balloon outward.
According to the myth, fresh salad mix should be in a flat bag since a puffier bag indicates a higher chance that the salad mix has spoiled. However, this is false and unreliable.
Bagged salad mixes use special packaging that's designed to lengthen the shelf life of the produce via a mix of gases, including carbon dioxide, for ideal temperature and humidity.
Instead of puffiness, examine whether your bagged salad mix has a lot of moisture. Excess moisture can cause bacteria to grow, so less liquid means it's likely still good to eat.