Romaine left in the car - ok to use?

Amarante ↓

Wed, May 05 2021, 12:33 pm

Vegetables don't go "silently" bad the way that meat might. A vegetable that is past its time to use will show it by being wilted and brown or maybe slimy.

I would use it quickly - assuming that it is still in good enough condition so that it would taste okay. A salad made with wilted or soggy greens isn't very palatable even if it is safe.

cbsp

Wed, May 05 2021, 12:48 pm

Amarante wrote:

Well, actually, if there's an E Coli problem it's not detectable

From here:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/hea.....58034

How can I tell if a food is contaminated with E. coli?
Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

Unfortunately you can't tell whether a food is contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) by the way it looks, smells or tastes. Although most types of E. coli bacteria are harmless, certain strains can cause serious foodborne illness.

(and then it lists preventative measures, one of which is to refrigerate perishables immediately)

Having said that, if your car was already cool and it was 50s overnight and it looks ok I'd eat it.

↑ Amarante ↓

Wed, May 05 2021, 12:52 pm

cbsp wrote:

Presumably she would wash it as all vegetables should be washed. I was basing my opinion on whether merely leaving lettuce unrefrigerated means one should throw it out automatically - meats, fish, chicken, eggs, prepared salads - all are dangerous if not refrigerated. Vegetables and fruits are not typically refrigerated for safety so much as to prolong their shelf live - after all they grow in the fields unrefrigerated and aren't kept refrigerated at farmers markets either.

↑ Amarante

Wed, May 05 2021, 4:23 pm

bargainlover wrote:

It’s already washed and cut up....bagged salad

If it is safe enough to eat if you don't wash it, presumably it has been checked and safeguards taken for e-coli contamination.

Wilted lettuce doesn't represent a danger if left out especially at temperatures OP stated. It is not meat or other stuff that requires very different handling in terms of food poisoning dangers.