Is bagged lettuce worth the safety risk?

Pre-bagged lettuce is among the biggest culprits when it comes to food poisoning. It faces multiple contamination points at farms and in factories. Certain populations may want to avoid it in favor of unbagged lettuce.

Why is this an issue?

A nation-wide romaine lettuce recall ended in May of 2018, and it was a really big deal.

In fact, it was the biggest multistate outbreak since 2006. Nearly 200 romaine lettuce eaters got sick by the time everything was over. Half of them were hospitalized, and five people died.

References

2.^Park S, Navratil S, Gregory A, Bauer A, Srinath I, Jun M, Szonyi B, Nightingale K, Anciso J, Ivanek RGeneric Escherichia coli contamination of spinach at the preharvest stage: effects of farm management and environmental factorsAppl Environ Microbiol.(2013 Jul)
4.^Jay MT, Cooley M, Carychao D, Wiscomb GW, Sweitzer RA, Crawford-Miksza L, Farrar JA, Lau DK, O'Connell J, Millington A, Asmundson RV, Atwill ER, Mandrell REEscherichia coli O157:H7 in feral swine near spinach fields and cattle, central California coastEmerg Infect Dis.(2007 Dec)
5.^Koukkidis G, Haigh R, Allcock N, Jordan S, Freestone PSalad Leaf Juices Enhance Salmonella Growth, Colonization of Fresh Produce, and VirulenceAppl Environ Microbiol.(2016 Dec 15)
7.^Ternhag A, Törner A, Svensson A, Ekdahl K, Giesecke JShort- and long-term effects of bacterial gastrointestinal infectionsEmerg Infect Dis.(2008 Jan)
9.^Lund BM, O'Brien SJThe occurrence and prevention of foodborne disease in vulnerable peopleFoodborne Pathog Dis.(2011 Sep)
10.^Kendall PA, Hillers VV, Medeiros LCFood safety guidance for older adultsClin Infect Dis.(2006 May 1)
11.^Rolhion N, Chassaing BWhen pathogenic bacteria meet the intestinal microbiotaPhilos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci.(2016 Nov 5)
12.^Coyte KZ, Schluter J, Foster KRThe ecology of the microbiome: Networks, competition, and stabilityScience.(2015 Nov 6)
14.^Cardona F, Andrés-Lacueva C, Tulipani S, Tinahones FJ, Queipo-Ortuño MIBenefits of polyphenols on gut microbiota and implications in human healthJ Nutr Biochem.(2013 Aug)
15.^Harvey RR, Zakhour CM, Gould LHFoodborne Disease Outbreaks Associated with Organic Foods in the United StatesJ Food Prot.(2016 Nov)