"Let Us" Find Out How Much Bacteria Is in Lettuce

Overview

Objectives/Goals My project was to determine which type of lettuce carried more bacteria, hand washed or pre-bagged, pre-washed lettuce. Methods/Materials I purchased Romaine and Iceberg lettuce samples in both pre-bagged, pre-washed form and hand washed form at Ralph#s Supermarket and Whole Foods. I tested both samples for bacteria content. In the course of the project, loose Romaine and Iceberg lettuce were cut in half. I washed (with glove-covered hands) one half of the loose lettuce and then compared it to the half that was not washed. Also, pre-bagged, pre-washed Romaine and Iceberg lettuce were tested for bacteria. The testing was done in two trials. Results My results showed that pre-bagged, pre-washed lettuce had a lower bacteria content compared to the hand washed lettuce. This may be due to the fact that aside from being washed in water there are also added chemicals on the pre-bagged, pre-washed lettuce that kill the bacteria before it is eaten. Conclusions/Discussion My testing concluded that pre-bagged, pre-washed Iceberg lettuce from Ralph#s had the least amount of bacteria.

Competition history

• CSEF 2006 Microbiology · Entry J1331

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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