It can be scary when you notice something weird in your food, like a lot of little brown balls on your lettuce.
You might think it’s amazing, but you might even look for bug eggs in your salad. If you’ve ever seen something like this when eating out or getting greens ready at home, here’s what you need to know.
What Are Those Brown Balls in Your Salad?
Those little balls that are tightly packed and perfectly round couldn’t be food; they could be bug eggs.
They look like the eggs of a bug that smells bad or something else that eats leaves.
Because these bugs deposit their eggs in very specific patterns, usually on the underside of leaves, salad greens like lettuce and other leafy greens are often employed to contain the eggs.
Are They Safe?
If you accidentally eat bug eggs, they are usually not hazardous, but they are not meant for people to eat. The biggest problems are how clean the food is and how it is stored. There may have been bug eggs in the salads since the greens weren’t cleansed or checked well before they were served.
If you find something like this in your food, especially at a restaurant or salad bar, here’s what to do:
Stop eating right now. Don’t eat the rest of your dinner if you think there are insect eggs in your salad.
This clear photo is proof.
Please tell the folks who work at the store or restaurant. Most good companies will listen to your issue and either give you a replacement item or your money back.
If the problem keeps happening or isn’t being fixed the right way, tell your local health agency.
If you’re eating at home, go through all the leftover greens and wash them well in running water.
How to Make Sure This Doesn’t Happen Again
Greens that have already been washed might sometimes still meet quality criteria. Here are some safety guidelines to assist you keep insect eggs out of your salad:
If your salad has leafy greens like spinach, romaine, or butter lettuce, you should always check it before you eat it.
Even if your greens have been “triple-washed,” you should still wash them at home to get rid of any bug eggs that might still be present.
You should only buy organic lettuce and other veggies that are cultivated in the field if you can clean them well. This is because there are more bugs in fields that aren’t sprayed.