Skip These Items At The Salad Bar If You Want To Avoid Food Poisoning

When health is top of mind, your first stop at any self-serverestaurant is probably the salad bar. Full of fresh vegetables and lean proteins, a salad bar can be a simple, cost-effective way to cobble together a nutrient-rich, low-calorie meal.

The only issue? Like buffets, salad bars are often breeding grounds for bacteria and, as a result, are linked to food poisoning. But does this mean you should write off salad bars completely? And what about popular to-go salad restaurants?

Food safety experts say you can still frequent your local salad bar and restaurants without getting sick, but there are a few foods to avoid and red flags to look out for.

The top items to consider skipping at the salad bar

According to Trevor Craig , corporate director of technical training and consulting and food testing expert at Microbac Laboratories, the most concerning items on a salad bar are typically the high-protein items like meat and any items with dairy or egg. “These items typically have a very neutral pH and high moisture, so they will grow bacteria quickly when exposed,” he said.

In terms of non-meat products, Craig said he always avoids sprouts, as their ideal growing environment is very warm , making it a breeding ground for certain bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses such as salmonella or E. coli.

“Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of cross-contamination and recalls associated with vegetables, so before consuming items from the salad bar, it’s important to make sure certain vegetables are not on the recall list,” Craig advised.

Food scientist Bryan Quoc Le agrees with this. “Meat, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products are more likely to harbor microorganisms that can cause food poisoning, as these are