That sentiment is backed up by recommendations produced by panel of microbial and food-safety experts and published in the journal Food Protection Trends. They concluded that leafy salad greens labeled “washed” or “ready-to-eat” do not require additional washing at the time of use, and that such washing is “not likely to enhance safety.”

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Salad companies, as expected, say their products are thoroughly cleaned, and the FDA did issue new regulations related to produce handling and packaging as part of 2016's Food Safety Modernization Act; this includes prepackaged salad greens. Generally, companies use a system of chilled water tubs and “flumes” to clean greens before they’re packaged. Both Earthbound Farms and Fresh Express tell me they use lightly chlorinated water (which still complies with certified organic regulations, in Earthbound Farms’ case). Fresh Express says its washing techniques are customized to each type of lettuce or baby greens, with adjustments to pH balance, water temperature, water flumes, and dwell times specific to each variety. Earthbound Farms says its lettuces are “not intended to be rewashed at home.” In fact, companies say, rewashing carries its own risks.

“The short version is: The greens are definitely washed and ready to eat, but consumers can choose to re-rinse them if they wish. The big concern there is that it leads to cross-contamination in the kitchen,” a spokesperson for salad company Fresh Express tells The Takeout. The company says that if a customer is going to rewash the greens, they should follow food-safe, sanitary washing and drying protocol.

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So, if you’re not ready to bleach down your counters and sterilize your salad spinners, then it’s probably safer to just eat the salad straight from the bag. If you insist on re-rinsing, you should also insist on sanitizing your kitchen before and after.