A great number of people are fans of a good salad, adding it to their daily meals. Some eat it as a meal of its own, with the interest of practicing a healthy lifestyle. 

Salads are a very crucial part of our meals because they provide fibre and other micronutrients including vitamins, minerals as well as phytochemicals needed by our bodies for healthy functioning.

It is important to understand that vegetables available on the market or straight from the garden are carriers of different pathogens, especially bacteria that are a potential source of and can cause several diseases to consumers, such as stomach infections.

According to Eric Matsiko, a lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, bacteria are not only carried from the market or garden, they are found everywhere around the environment

"Germs are found on our skin, hands, the utensils we use while preparing salads, knives or even a place where we are preparing the salad from, and once they are contaminated with microorganisms, bacteria are likely to remain on the greens,” Matsiko says 

Even though there are things like vinegar to neutralise the bacteria, we have risks of getting into contact with those microorganisms, the fact that we eat those salads uncooked, Matsiko says, adding that if you are preparing a salad, try to maintain appropriate hygiene because there is a high risk of contaminating the salad.

"The fact that the signs of infections cannot be seen immediately, we should be equipped with maximum hygiene during salad preparation, because the bacteria found in them might lead to other chronic diseases.”  Matsiko says.

Sometimes people get terrible stomach run-ups leading to bloody diarrhoea, frequent vomiting and dizziness, after they have eaten a salad, even if it is homemade. 

Nancy Yvette Irakoze, a student at Mount Kenya University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in clinical medicine and community health, says that you should keep raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods, especially meat, to avoid cross-contamination. 

"After buying vegetables from the market, make sure they are cleaned and stored in the fridge calibrated at 4°C or below, store them in a separate chamber from other products such as meats, poultry, seafood or other food products,” Irakoze says.

She adds that it is recommended to buy the quantity of vegetables that won’t last for a period of more than five days, and when you are going to prepare them, use two different cutting boards and knives in the kitchen, one for ready-to-eat foods (fruits and veggies) and others for meats or another type of food.

Irakoze says that during preparation, wash the vegetables at least three times under cold running water using a clean soft brush, clean and rinse materials such as knives, cutting boards, cleaning brushes and containers that are used in preparation of salad only. 

"Remember to remove the outer covers of the vegetables as they are the most contaminated parts,” she says. 

She adds that put the already made salad on a serving plate and cover with appropriate packaging. If it is not going to be consumed immediately, label it as ‘ready-to-use’ and ‘use-by-date’ then store it at 4°C or below.

Irakoze also says that if the salad is kept at room temperature, make sure it is served and won’t last for more than two hours as there is need to handle this type of food with special care.