A study by Consumer Reports finds traces of bacteria in bagged salad -- even those labeled "prewashed."
The lab tests of 208 containers of 16 brands of greens found several types of bacteria. These bacteria don't generally make healthy people sick. Still, the report calls them "indicator" bacteria, a sign that "not enough is being done to assure the safety or cleanliness of leafy greens," said Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumer Union.
Your best bet to avoid any problems: Rinse those greens, even the ones whose packages claim they have already been washed.
BALTIMORE SUN
Anesthesia has promise The trouble with nerve block anesthesia is that it blocks pain and motor function. But researchers have reported progress on an anesthetic that only blunts pain. Scientists from Children's Hospital Boston were studying substances called surfactants, which are used to help drugs spread more easily through tissue. While testing various surfactants along with types of lidocaine, they found the mixtures halted pain in the sciatic nerves of rats for up to seven hours but didn't impair the animals' movements. The researchers don't know how the surfactants cause the unique response, so further studies will be needed.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Trouble brewed in stew When six members of a family show up at an emergency room with hallucinations, confusion and rapid heart rates, doctors know there's likely a common cause. This happened in Maryland: "All six shared a meal of homemade stew and bread. ... Approximately one hour later, another relative arrived at the home and discovered the six affected family members laughing, confused and complaining of hallucinations, dizziness and thirst. ... The unaffected relative called emergency medical services, and all six were transported to the hospital by ambulance." Final diagnosis, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? "Altered mental status secondary to food poisoning." The cause? Jimsonweed, a plant with hallucinogenic properties. The moral? If your meal preparer is going to pluck yard plants for food, make sure he or she knows what those plants are.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
