How to Make Spinach Safe

Want to ensure that the spinach you eat is safe? After the recent scare about E. coli contamination of spinach, it makes sense to take extra precautions to be sure that consuming this vitamin-packed leafy green makes you healthier, not ill. Follow these simple steps:

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Check that your bagged fresh spinach has a date code of October 2, 2006, or later. Dispose of any fresh spinach with a date code of October 1, 2006, or earlier.

2. Cook fresh spinach at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds or longer. This will kill E. coli O157:H7, the bacteria implicated in the spinach contamination.

3. Store fresh spinach properly. This can impact its safety. To maintain the quality of fresh, perishable fruits and vegetables, store them in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees or below.

4. Wash all leafy greens by immersing them in basin of cold water, then rinsing thoroughly. Precut, bagged produce like lettuce and baby spinach are often pre-washed and the packaging will state this. If so, it can be used without further washing.

5. Know that processed spinach, canned or frozen, was not involved and is as safe and vitamin-packed as ever.