Safe salads: Can science lead the way to germ-free produce?

For millions of Americans, bagged salads are a miracle food, the perfect mix of health and convenience. They don’t want to think about E. coli O157:H7, which in 2006 tainted spinach in an outbreak that killed five people and sent 100 more to the hospital. And the salad industry doesn’t want them thinking about it either. The safety of bagged greens has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in today’s fresh produce business. It’s why industry and government are investing millions to avoid debacles such as the death of 30 people last year after eating poorly washed, listeria-laced cantaloupe. It’s why food companies are rushing to find the “perfect wash.”