Fresh-cut salad mixes are ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat products that have been washed, cut and packaged a few days before sale. Although this means less time and effort for the consumer, it can also entail microbiological risks.
Pre-cutting the lettuce causes cell sap to escape at the interfaces. Since there is already a certain humidity in the plastic packaging, this provides an ideal habitat for the growth of germs and bacteria.
Recommendations for the consumption of Fresh-Cut salads:
- Refrigerate (at max. 7°C) and consume quickly
- Wash thoroughly before consumption and check for withered/ discoloured leaves
- In case of mould, accumulation of liquids or foul odours, the salad should not be eaten any more
- Infants, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system should avoid fresh-cut products as a precaution.
Source: https://www.tentamus-web.com/recommendations-fresh-cut-salads/