Saturday, Aug 29

Welcome to Your Daily Dot where Dot will share tips, advice, and stories on how we can make our world better.

All Dear Dot illustrations by Elissa Turnbull.

Dear Dot,

Where do you suggest buying “safe” greens?

– Janet

Dear Janet,

There are a lot of us — more than 22,000 across 15 states — who’ve spent our summer not on a beach but on our toilets, thanks to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis from contaminated lettuce, which causes, among other symptoms, “explosive diarrhea.” 

No sooner did we think it was safe to leave our bathrooms than we got news that jalapeños are the latest Trojan horse, this time carrying salmonella. 

The contaminations have been traced to a company called Taylor Farms and specifically to farms in Mexico. But because Taylor Farms products are sold under some private labels — including in stores dotted around the country, such as Wal-Mart and Trader Joe’s — it’s reasonable to wonder how safe the produce is at your local grocer.

Though the lettuce recall seems to have been thorough and successful — “That product is off the market, so I think there’s absolutely lower risk for cyclospora in terms of eating lettuce,” Kali Kniel, a professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, told Wired magazine — there remains the jalapeño contamination, along with potential contamination of parsley and cilantro in North Carolina. 

What’s a greens-loving consumer to do? Dot tosses some ideas!

Paid Advertisement with Nibbles

With vet costs rising 60% over the past decade, pets and pet parents both deserve a little relief.

Nibbles is the first credit card that comes with pet insurance and 3x rewards at pet stores, pet services, and the vet. Plus, use the card anywhere else Mastercard is accepted for 1x rewards. Protect your pet and your wallet in one move. All those rewards mean more treats too!

Nibbles is not a bank. The Nibbles Card is issued by Lead Bank. Other fees and T&Cs apply. Rewards & pet insurance offered by Nibbles, not Lead Bank. Base pet insurance policy paid for one eligible pet by Nibbles. See nibbles.com for details. Nibbles does not operate in CT, NY, KY, MN, WA, CO, HI, MA, or ME.

Get more of Bluedot Living delivered directly to your inbox. From The Weekly news hub to Bluedot Living Kitchen and the biweekly Buy Better Marketplace, and more, we offer a range of newsletters tailored to your interests and wherever you are on your sustainable living journey.