I've seen some of the lettuce in the stores and it's pretty decrepit looking at its sales point in the stores. People come along and handle each head looking for "just the right one." By the time we get it home, it's hard to tell exactly what could be lurking on or in it. Ditto much of the other available produce.
Some fruits and veggies are shipped from South American countries that use sprays outlawed here and which have "iffy" sanitation practices compared to our own. A few years back raw alfalfa and clover sprouts were touted to carry e-coli and salmonella
I used to LOVE sprouts.......now I don't touch them.
I just saw on the news, they are checking water, fertilizer and "harvesting conditions" for the cause of this spinach e-coli outbreak. "harvesting conditions" they should also check the legality of the workers while they are at it, and their bathroom facilities. Probably wear gloves like the people in the deli that never change them and handle other "things" with the same gloves. ICK!
I only buy stuff I can wash with soap and wter now......like potatoes, tomatoes and avocados. I am really weird when it comes to this germ stuff. :) I even washed my eggs this morning before I cracked them because they felt gritty.