Romaine Salad Illness Alert - Salad, Santa Clara California

Santa Clara, California, United States

Suspected food poisoning. Symptoms: Diarrhea
I got the salad at a senior home that is supplied by Sysco. The senior home provides food for residents in Santa Clara, CA, USA.

Suspected source: I had a salad with romaine lettuce in which there was one piece of foreign material that had gone bad. It was a piece of some other kind of variegated salad greens that I have seen often in "Spring Mix". I took the photo and threw the piece away, but I ate the lettuce it had been touching. (See * below.) So when I saw a piece of variegated greens in a kind of salad where I had not seen them before, I was suspicious. But I was not thorough enough to throw away the lettuce it had come in contact with. * (I have noticed over the years that packaged "Spring Mix" has a couple of varieties of "greens" that are variegated, part green and part purple, and very prone to spoiling, even when still in the store, even well before the expiration date. For example, in the past if I went to Walmart in Folsom CA and looked at the containers of Mainstays Organic Spring Mix, most of the containers had at least one piece of spoiling variegated greens. Sprouts Farmers Market had the same problem. I have found the variegated greens in Spring Mix to be a big problem in both Northern and Southern California. I have found it impossible to keep these variegated greens from spoiling before the expiration date if left in their original container. This is because condensation forms in plastic containers. I bet you will get the same result if you buy almost any Spring Mix. The only way I have kept the variegated greens from spoiling before the expiration date is to take all of them out of the container the day I buy them and put them in a paper bag in my fridge, where condensation will not form. If I were you, I would not allow packaged Spring Mix sold in stores to contain variegated greens. I know this is a big statement, so call me or email me and we can talk.)

Onset: 4 to 12 hours Duration: other: I am sending this report on the same day I had the problem. I do not know if it will persist.
Sick: Me
Additional information: I am someone who used to work in quality control for a pacemaker manufacturer. I scrutinize produce when I shop. Most of the time I shop for produce I find issues and report them to the employees. They always thank me. So please consider my recommendation to not allow variegated "greens" in packaged "Spring Mix" sold in plastic containers in stores. Please buy some Spring Mix yourself and do your own experiment. Also, please go to any Walmart and scrutinize the packages of Mainstays "Spring Mix", both organic and non-organic. It's not the stores fault. Variegated greens in plastic containers or plastic bags is trouble, in my opinion. It could work if the sides and bottom were paper and the lid was plastic with venting to prevent condensation. FYI, baby spinach also has this problem, but not as bad. Experiment with organic baby spinach from Trader Joe's for example. (I like these stores, but those plastic containers or plastic bags are trouble, in my opinion.)  | Symptoms: Diarrhea