Overview
- Official testing detected Shigatoxin-producing E. coli in 6 of 268 ready-to-eat leaf-salad samples and Salmonella in 2 of 312 samples from retail.
- The BVL advises children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems to skip pre-cut, packaged salads as a precaution.
- LAV chair Markus Tielke said the results confirm that ready-to-eat leaf salads can be a source of human Salmonella and STEC infections.
- Authorities say contamination typically arises from animal feces or polluted irrigation water, and moist packaging with inadequate cooling allows germs to persist or multiply.
- Officials emphasize hygiene guidance rather than recalls, urging consumers to rinse leaves despite 'prewashed' labels, keep products cold, eat them quickly and discard bulging or discolored packs.