How do U.S. consumers handle precut bagged lettuce?

Do consumers wash pre-cut bagged lettuce before use? Do consumers know that many of these products are pre-washed? How risky do consumers think it is if they do not wash these products? Answers to these questions are important to policy makers, consumer education practitioners, and the industry in light of recent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with these products, popularity of these products for busy consumers, and nutritional values of these products. There is, however, little publicly available information. This study attempts to fill this void by presenting a picture of consumer practices and knowledge related to pre-cut bagged lettuce, based on data collected in the 2006 Food Safety Survey, a Food and Drug Administration national telephone survey of adults in the United States. This study reports washing practice, perceived knowledge of prevalence of pre-washed products, perceived vulnerability of foodborne illness if these products are not washed, and other related food safety perceptions and practices. This study also attempts to identify correlates of the washing practice and prevalence perception among socio-demographic (e.g., education, gender, age, race/ethnicity) and other (e.g., meal preparation experience, foodborne illness experience) characteristics. The information will be useful for developing strategies to reduce the risk of foodborne illness from consuming pre-cut bagged produce.