There’s an ongoing debate in our household about whether we should be washing bagged lettuce or not.

From my perspective, I’m a washer. Any fruit and veg, I’m washing it – that includes bagged salad leaves. This is despite the fact it says it’s already been washed on the packet.

My other half, in contrast, will just bung it on a sandwich or in a bowl, straight from the bag.

Recently, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a news alert saying
Shiga Toxin producing E.coli (STEC) infections rose by 26% in England last year.

The increase was partly driven by an outbreak linked to contaminated salad leaves, which caused 196 cases in England.

It got me thinking about lettuce (again) – especially given the string of outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce in the US last year, too.

And it left me with four questions (I’m sure I’m not the only one), so I’ve set out to answer them below...

First of all, what symptoms does this particular E.coli infection cause?

We’ve had our fair share of tummy bugs in our household, so I was interested in what the signs are that you’ve been exposed to Shiga Toxin producing E.coli.

STEC are bacteria that can cause gastroenteritis. Symptoms can include:

• mild to bloody diarrhoea,
• stomach cramps,
• vomiting,
• dehydration.

In severe cases, the bacteria can cause something called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) – a serious, life-threatening condition that mainly affects the kidneys.

How do you catch it?

STEC bacteria are spread through contact with animals or their........

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