Skip These Items At The Salad Bar If You Want To Avoid Food Poisoning

“Once you know to start looking for these items, it’ll be all you notice.”

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.