Temperature abuse of packaged salads raises food safety fears - study

"Storing packaged lettuce salads at 5°C (41°F) or below is critical for reducing food safety risks such as E.coli 0157:H7, according to new research.

Researchers said the findings were significant as they demonstrated that foodborne pathogens 'can grow significantly on commercially packaged lettuce salads while the product’s visual quality is fully acceptable.' This challenged the widely held view that temperature control of bagged greens was a quality rather than predominantly a food safety issue, said the team."

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Temperature-abuse-of-packaged-salads-raises-food-safety-fears-study