These Are The Foods To Avoid At A Salad Bar
When health is top of mind, your first stop at any self-serve restaurant is probably the salad bar. Full of fresh vegetables and lean proteins, a salad bar can be a simple, cost-effective way to cobble together a nutrient-rich, low-calorie meal.
The only issue? Like buffets, salad bars are often breeding grounds for bacteria and, as a result, are linked to food poisoning. But does this mean you should write off salad bars completely? And what about popular to-go salad restaurants?
Food safety experts say you can still frequent your local salad bar and restaurants without getting sick, but there are a few foods to avoid and red flags to look out for.
The top items to consider skipping at the salad bar
According to Trevor Craig, corporate director of technical training and consulting and food testing expert at Microbac Laboratories, the most concerning items on a salad bar are typically the high-protein items like meat and any items with dairy or egg. 'These items typically have a very neutral pH and high moisture, so they will grow bacteria quickly when exposed,' he said.
In terms of non-meat products, Craig said he always avoids sprouts, as their ideal growing environment is very warm, making it a breeding ground for certain bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses such as salmonella or E. coli.
'Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of cross-contamination and recalls associated with vegetables, so before consuming items from the salad bar, it's important to make sure certain vegetables are not on the recall list,' Craig advised.
Food scientist Bryan Quoc Le agrees with this. 'Meat, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products are more likely to harbor microorganisms that can cause food poisoning, as these are foods that are likelier to have come in contact with pathogens during processing,' he explained. 'They also have the right composition where many pathogens can grow, such as high moisture content and neutral pH. Foods that have come in contact with animal products are also more likely to harbor pathogens that can cause foodborne illness.'
OK, so maybe skip the animal protein options at the salad bar. But Vanessa Coffman, the director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illnesses, is quick to point out that food poisoning can be caused by nearly all foods. 'A self-serve salad bar introduces an additional hazard to the food preparer-consumer paradigm: Other consumers who are piling their plates full of delicious leafy greens and toppings,' she said. 'While we encourage healthy meal options like salads, it's important to opt for self-serve locations where using fresh plates for return trips to the salad bar is encouraged, sneeze guards are in place, and food is being rotated or refreshed often.'
Do the same risks apply to to-go salad restaurants?
Most people are aware that self-serve salad bars carry some risks when it comes to foodborne illnesses. Do the same risks apply to to-go salad restaurants?
There's always a possibility that you'll get food poisoning from a popular salad chain, but it's less likely. 'A salad quick-serve restaurant may be a more controlled environment as it removes the consumer from the role of assembler, but the same rules apply: Hands must be washed, food must be temperature controlled, and cross-contamination avoided,' Coffman said
Le adds that as long as these establishments are following their own state-mandated hazards and critical control points (HACCP) plan, their employees will be able to reduce the risk of contamination. 'Additionally, these types of establishments should be working hard to ensure they have limited the possibility of foodborne illness, as low quality control can seriously impact their market credibility as an establishment,' Le said.
Whether you're at a self-serve salad bar or a to-go salad chain, all three experts agree that certain red flags can tip you off to a greater likelihood that you'll end up eating contaminated food. 'Animal products, especially dairy and meat, should be kept in a cool environment to ensure that they are not left out at room temperature for longer than two hours,' Le said. 'Animal products should also be clearly kept separate from other ingredients, especially vegetables and lettuce. Employees should be wearing disposable gloves to ensure they are not cross-contaminating ingredients.'
'The restaurant should clean regularly, even if it is busy,' Craig added. 'When refilling, they should be placing older products on top of new products. Each item they pull should be with its own utensil, and employees should be wearing gloves and changing them regularly. Food should also be separated out with the meats, veggies and dairy items sectioned out.'
Lastly, he said, cold food should be cold and hot food should be hot. If they're not, that can point to an issue with quality control. 'Once you know to start looking for these items, it'll be all you notice.'
Of course, it's not always easy to find out exactly what safety practices self-serve salad bars and salad restaurants are adhering to just by looking, so if you're not sure, ask. If proper food safety practices are in place, the employees will likely be more than happy to share them with you.
HuffPost.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
13 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
These Are The Foods To Avoid At A Salad Bar
When health is top of mind, your first stop at any self-serve restaurant is probably the salad bar. Full of fresh vegetables and lean proteins, a salad bar can be a simple, cost-effective way to cobble together a nutrient-rich, low-calorie meal. The only issue? Like buffets, salad bars are often breeding grounds for bacteria and, as a result, are linked to food poisoning. But does this mean you should write off salad bars completely? And what about popular to-go salad restaurants? Food safety experts say you can still frequent your local salad bar and restaurants without getting sick, but there are a few foods to avoid and red flags to look out for. The top items to consider skipping at the salad bar According to Trevor Craig, corporate director of technical training and consulting and food testing expert at Microbac Laboratories, the most concerning items on a salad bar are typically the high-protein items like meat and any items with dairy or egg. 'These items typically have a very neutral pH and high moisture, so they will grow bacteria quickly when exposed,' he said. In terms of non-meat products, Craig said he always avoids sprouts, as their ideal growing environment is very warm, making it a breeding ground for certain bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses such as salmonella or E. coli. 'Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of cross-contamination and recalls associated with vegetables, so before consuming items from the salad bar, it's important to make sure certain vegetables are not on the recall list,' Craig advised. Food scientist Bryan Quoc Le agrees with this. 'Meat, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products are more likely to harbor microorganisms that can cause food poisoning, as these are foods that are likelier to have come in contact with pathogens during processing,' he explained. 'They also have the right composition where many pathogens can grow, such as high moisture content and neutral pH. Foods that have come in contact with animal products are also more likely to harbor pathogens that can cause foodborne illness.' OK, so maybe skip the animal protein options at the salad bar. But Vanessa Coffman, the director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illnesses, is quick to point out that food poisoning can be caused by nearly all foods. 'A self-serve salad bar introduces an additional hazard to the food preparer-consumer paradigm: Other consumers who are piling their plates full of delicious leafy greens and toppings,' she said. 'While we encourage healthy meal options like salads, it's important to opt for self-serve locations where using fresh plates for return trips to the salad bar is encouraged, sneeze guards are in place, and food is being rotated or refreshed often.' Do the same risks apply to to-go salad restaurants? Most people are aware that self-serve salad bars carry some risks when it comes to foodborne illnesses. Do the same risks apply to to-go salad restaurants? There's always a possibility that you'll get food poisoning from a popular salad chain, but it's less likely. 'A salad quick-serve restaurant may be a more controlled environment as it removes the consumer from the role of assembler, but the same rules apply: Hands must be washed, food must be temperature controlled, and cross-contamination avoided,' Coffman said Le adds that as long as these establishments are following their own state-mandated hazards and critical control points (HACCP) plan, their employees will be able to reduce the risk of contamination. 'Additionally, these types of establishments should be working hard to ensure they have limited the possibility of foodborne illness, as low quality control can seriously impact their market credibility as an establishment,' Le said. Whether you're at a self-serve salad bar or a to-go salad chain, all three experts agree that certain red flags can tip you off to a greater likelihood that you'll end up eating contaminated food. 'Animal products, especially dairy and meat, should be kept in a cool environment to ensure that they are not left out at room temperature for longer than two hours,' Le said. 'Animal products should also be clearly kept separate from other ingredients, especially vegetables and lettuce. Employees should be wearing disposable gloves to ensure they are not cross-contaminating ingredients.' 'The restaurant should clean regularly, even if it is busy,' Craig added. 'When refilling, they should be placing older products on top of new products. Each item they pull should be with its own utensil, and employees should be wearing gloves and changing them regularly. Food should also be separated out with the meats, veggies and dairy items sectioned out.' Lastly, he said, cold food should be cold and hot food should be hot. If they're not, that can point to an issue with quality control. 'Once you know to start looking for these items, it'll be all you notice.' Of course, it's not always easy to find out exactly what safety practices self-serve salad bars and salad restaurants are adhering to just by looking, so if you're not sure, ask. If proper food safety practices are in place, the employees will likely be more than happy to share them with you. HuffPost.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Liver-Assessment Tool Hepatoscope® Steadily Expands Installed-Base Validating Its Clinical and Commercial Viability
E-Scopics' Ultraportable, Software-Based Hepatoscope In Use Across Leading Institutions and Clinics AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, June 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After successfully exhibiting its unique software-based liver assessment tool Hepatascope at the DDW Convention in San Diego and the EASL Conference in Amsterdam, the France-based medical ultrasound company E-Scopics will demonstrate the technology at the June 2025 American Diabetes Association Conference in Chicago. The technology is seeing expanded adoption, with the company reporting that it has established the technology in a number of important sites in the US and Europe, validating its clinical and commercial viability. In the span of a few short years, the company has successfully adapted its premium ultrafast imaging point-of-care systems into GI and primary care, putting the system into the hands of a growing number of users who recognize its clinical value and importance in improving the standard of care for patients. In the process, E-Scopics has completely disrupted the field of portable ultrasound by leveraging proprietary technology using software-based image reconstruction. In 2023 E-Scopics began to commercialize its first product, Hepatoscope, both in the USA and in EMEA countries. The company's mid-term goal is to increase its footprint globally, starting its expansion to most European countries, where patients at risk of chronic liver diseases are. Hepatoscope continues to gain recognition as an alternative to legacy technology, from major institutions and all-size healthcare institutions across the USA. E-Scopics Founder and CEO Claude Cohen-Bacrie, who brings deep experience developing and taking to market cutting-edge ultrasound technologies, commented, "Our ambition is to bring premium quantitative ultrasound modalities and tools at the point-of-care, in the hands of non-ultrasound expert users, for the benefit of healthcare systems and patients. Making patients' journey and care pathways simpler and more efficient is our priority. We are so pleased that our backers- both leading users who understand the clinical and business partners who get the commercial potential, are in it for the long haul- and really excited about it." The company recognized MASLD was on the rise globally, and the need to bring the healthcare community a less expensive, more portable, and easier-to-use tool to accurately screen for the disease. It was very deliberate, developing a tool that was simple to use and reducing costs. The Hepatoscope application can easily be loaded onto a consumer laptop or tablet and rapidly deployed in the field. In addition to ease-of-use, the company saw Ultrasound-as-a-Service model as means to open access to any clinic via an affordable monthly or pay-per-use subscription, innovating on the business side. Cohen-Bacrie continued, "We see a healthier patient population coming out of a world where there is healthy business competition which drives innovation. We would not be talking about elastography outside of this important competitive environment. Especially where liver assessment is concerned, patients really need it, clinicians are asking for better and more affordable tools, and the FDA and payers endorse it." The numbers bear the need out. Approximately 1.5 million patients have been diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in the U.S., and it is estimated that the precursor to MASH—metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD—will affect more than half of all American adults by 2040. The MASLD spectrum ranges from a simple, generally nonprogressive fat buildup in the liver all the way to MASH, which can lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. The economic burden attributed to effects of MASLD in the U.S. exceeds $100 billion annually. Therefore, it is crucial to identify these patients and take care of them as early as possible. "As consumers we've become conditioned to expect the latest and greatest personal computing and communications tools, they simply make us more efficient in day-to-day tasks, said Dr. Julio Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Medicine at Scripps Center for Organ Transplant in La Jolla, CA and an early adopter of Hepatoscope. "I think of E-Scopics like Apple and have come to expect continuous innovation, and the clinical impact has been significant." Dr. Cyrielle Caussy MD, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and an Endocrinologist-Diabetologist at Lyon 1 University and Lyon South Hospital in France, asserted, "In the endocrine and diabetology practice, approximately 80% of patients screened show low liver stiffness, which means they can be reassured without further referral or testing. By reducing the time between initial screening and specialty care, the Hepatoscope improves both the efficiency and quality of patient management. For high-risk patients, we can initiate care pathways much earlier, potentially slowing or halting the progression of liver disease. At the same time, for low-risk individuals, we avoid unnecessary referrals, which frees up resources and improves overall healthcare system efficiency. Importantly, patients appreciate the immediate feedback they receive, which encourages compliance with treatment plans and lifestyle modifications." E-Scopics will demonstrate Hepatoscope at the American Diabetes Association annual conference in Chicago in Booth #3527. Visitors may walk in and also book a time by emailing About E-Scopics: E-Scopics S.A.S is a MedTech company headquartered in France. The company advances the accessibility, affordability, and ease of use of premium ultrasound tools at the point of care. Its agile software platform has dematerialized and automated ultrasound imaging technologies. Ultrasound-as-a-Service products derived from this platform are specific Apps commercialized with pay-per-use or subscription business models. The company's first product, the Hepatoscope, leverages quantitative imaging capabilities to help any clinician assess liver fibrosis and steatosis—important markers of MASLD-MASH—non-invasively at the bedside. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts Dan ConleyBeacon Communicationsdconley@ 312-593-8461 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business Wire
Liver-Assessment Tool Hepatoscope® Steadily Expands Installed-Base Validating Its Clinical and Commercial Viability
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After successfully exhibiting its unique software-based liver assessment tool Hepatascope at the DDW Convention in San Diego and the EASL Conference in Amsterdam, the France-based medical ultrasound company E-Scopics will demonstrate the technology at the June 2025 American Diabetes Association Conference in Chicago. The technology is seeing expanded adoption, with the company reporting that it has established the technology in a number of important sites in the US and Europe, validating its clinical and commercial viability. In the span of a few short years, the company has successfully adapted its premium ultrafast imaging point-of-care systems into GI and primary care, putting the system into the hands of a growing number of users who recognize its clinical value and importance in improving the standard of care for patients. In the process, E-Scopics has completely disrupted the field of portable ultrasound by leveraging proprietary technology using software-based image reconstruction. In 2023 E-Scopics began to commercialize its first product, Hepatoscope, both in the USA and in EMEA countries. The company's mid-term goal is to increase its footprint globally, starting its expansion to most European countries, where patients at risk of chronic liver diseases are. Hepatoscope continues to gain recognition as an alternative to legacy technology, from major institutions and all-size healthcare institutions across the USA. E-Scopics Founder and CEO Claude Cohen-Bacrie, who brings deep experience developing and taking to market cutting-edge ultrasound technologies, commented, 'Our ambition is to bring premium quantitative ultrasound modalities and tools at the point-of-care, in the hands of non-ultrasound expert users, for the benefit of healthcare systems and patients. Making patients' journey and care pathways simpler and more efficient is our priority. We are so pleased that our backers- both leading users who understand the clinical and business partners who get the commercial potential, are in it for the long haul- and really excited about it.' The company recognized MASLD was on the rise globally, and the need to bring the healthcare community a less expensive, more portable, and easier-to-use tool to accurately screen for the disease. It was very deliberate, developing a tool that was simple to use and reducing costs. The Hepatoscope application can easily be loaded onto a consumer laptop or tablet and rapidly deployed in the field. In addition to ease-of-use, the company saw Ultrasound-as-a-Service model as means to open access to any clinic via an affordable monthly or pay-per-use subscription, innovating on the business side. Cohen-Bacrie continued, 'We see a healthier patient population coming out of a world where there is healthy business competition which drives innovation. We would not be talking about elastography outside of this important competitive environment. Especially where liver assessment is concerned, patients really need it, clinicians are asking for better and more affordable tools, and the FDA and payers endorse it.' The numbers bear the need out. Approximately 1.5 million patients have been diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in the U.S., and it is estimated that the precursor to MASH—metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD—will affect more than half of all American adults by 2040. The MASLD spectrum ranges from a simple, generally nonprogressive fat buildup in the liver all the way to MASH, which can lead to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. The economic burden attributed to effects of MASLD in the U.S. exceeds $100 billion annually. Therefore, it is crucial to identify these patients and take care of them as early as possible. 'As consumers we've become conditioned to expect the latest and greatest personal computing and communications tools, they simply make us more efficient in day-to-day tasks, said Dr. Julio Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Medicine at Scripps Center for Organ Transplant in La Jolla, CA and an early adopter of Hepatoscope. 'I think of E-Scopics like Apple and have come to expect continuous innovation, and the clinical impact has been significant.' Dr. Cyrielle Caussy MD, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and an Endocrinologist-Diabetologist at Lyon 1 University and Lyon South Hospital in France, asserted, 'In the endocrine and diabetology practice, approximately 80% of patients screened show low liver stiffness, which means they can be reassured without further referral or testing. By reducing the time between initial screening and specialty care, the Hepatoscope improves both the efficiency and quality of patient management. For high-risk patients, we can initiate care pathways much earlier, potentially slowing or halting the progression of liver disease. At the same time, for low-risk individuals, we avoid unnecessary referrals, which frees up resources and improves overall healthcare system efficiency. Importantly, patients appreciate the immediate feedback they receive, which encourages compliance with treatment plans and lifestyle modifications.' E-Scopics will demonstrate Hepatoscope at the American Diabetes Association annual conference in Chicago in Booth #3527. Visitors may walk in and also book a time by emailing About E-Scopics: E-Scopics S.A.S is a MedTech company headquartered in France. The company advances the accessibility, affordability, and ease of use of premium ultrasound tools at the point of care. Its agile software platform has dematerialized and automated ultrasound imaging technologies. Ultrasound-as-a-Service products derived from this platform are specific Apps commercialized with pay-per-use or subscription business models. The company's first product, the Hepatoscope, leverages quantitative imaging capabilities to help any clinician assess liver fibrosis and steatosis—important markers of MASLD-MASH—non-invasively at the bedside. To learn more, visit
