The chances of dying from food poisoning after eating it, if it's used in a normal fashion.
Lettuce is usually eaten raw and uncooked, and it can't really be washed thoroughly. It's also a leafy green that grows directly out of the ground, so it has the greatest chance to be contaminated by ...erm... organic fertilizers, rodent poop, and other sources of bacteria.
It's fine if you wash it well, which restaurants and salad bars almost never do. Same for raw spinach. Also, ensure that surfaces and hands are sanitary.
> The most dangerous product in a typical kitchen is lettuce. Bon appetit.
What is the quantitative definition of "dangerous?"
The chances of dying from food poisoning after eating it, if it's used in a normal fashion.
Lettuce is usually eaten raw and uncooked, and it can't really be washed thoroughly. It's also a leafy green that grows directly out of the ground, so it has the greatest chance to be contaminated by ...erm... organic fertilizers, rodent poop, and other sources of bacteria.
Raw spinach too, a very close second.
What if you grew it yourself?
It's fine if you wash it well, which restaurants and salad bars almost never do. Same for raw spinach. Also, ensure that surfaces and hands are sanitary.
Washing produce with water doesn't help much: https://www.consumerreports.org/e-coli/washing-greens-protec... It can reduce the bacterial load, but it won't eliminate it.
You need to wash things at least with soap to make an impact on bacteria, but who does that?