# Throw down your arms! Err... your spinach, I mean **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780 "2006-09-15T01:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/1 "2006-09-15T01:38:21Z")
CNN is recommending that you throw away any bagged spinach you may have bought. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/14/tainted.spinach.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/14/tainted.spinach.ap/index.html) “WASHINGTON (AP) – An outbreak of E. coli in eight states has left at least one person dead and 50 others sick, federal health officials said Thursday in warning consumers nationwide not to eat bagged fresh spinach…” ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/2 "2006-09-15T01:45:31Z")
Popeye will be **so** pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/3 "2006-09-15T01:52:46Z")
_:: Deb checks the ingredients list on the bag of salad she just fed the hubby ::_ Oh, shit… :eek: Has the outbreak hit California yet? ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/4 "2006-09-15T03:06:04Z")
Crikey…Runs With Scissors recommends you throw out ALL bagged vegetables and never buy that shit again. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/5 "2006-09-15T03:06:28Z")
Gak: I nearly picked some up today! Guess I’ll have to put off my hankering for a wilted-spinach salad for awhile. ☹ * * * \<\< Hit any key? With what? \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/6 "2006-09-15T03:11:45Z")
Crap! Thanks for posting this. I love fresh spinach. I buy at least a bag a week; it’s almost always one of my five-a-day. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/7 "2006-09-15T03:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Popeye will be **so** pissed. [/QUOTE] But isn’t his spinach from a can? That makes Popeye safe…for now… ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/8 "2006-09-15T08:09:02Z")
No, you get botulism or something like that from the canned stuff. Popeye could be in real trouble already. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/9 "2006-09-15T10:45:03Z")
I just bought a bag yesterday. I’m keeping it. I’ll wash it real good. I LOVE my spinach, damnit. I saw where Indiana is one of the states included in the ‘warning.’ I will NOT do without my spinach salad, E-coli be damned! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/10 "2006-09-15T13:57:22Z")
If you’re going to “wash it real good” why buy bagged at all? Take the extra five minutes to take off stems and give the fresh stuff a couple of good soaks to get the dirt off. Besides, fresh won’t have that funny bleach aftertaste… ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/11 "2006-09-15T14:10:48Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Popeye will be **so** pissed. [/QUOTE] [Popeye]“Well, Blow Me Down…! Ga-ga ga-ga ga-ga…”[/Popeye] 😛 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/12 "2006-09-15T14:17:26Z")
New safe handling instructions from the CDC: 1. Squeeze can of spinach. 2. Inhale through corncob pipe 3. Hi Opal! 4. Kick Bluto’s ass ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/13 "2006-09-15T15:06:23Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] New safe handling instructions from the CDC: 1. Squeeze can of spinach. 2. Inhale through corncob pipe 3. Hi Opal! 4. Kick Bluto’s ass [/QUOTE] Shouldn’t that be “Hi Olive!”, at least in this case? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/14 "2006-09-15T16:58:32Z")
Well, that _would_ be clever, but since the OP _is_ Opal, I thought it would actually be appropriate for once. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/15 "2006-09-15T17:09:51Z")
Apparently it can also cause edema of the forearms and lower extremeties, lockjaw, and Bell’s palsy. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/16 "2006-09-15T17:40:35Z")
I can’t stand bagged veggies like spinach or salads. They have this nasty flavour that tastes like the plastic they’re bagged in. The stuff in plastic containers seems to be okay though. Has that been affected? 'Cos I likes me some organic Spring Mix with savoury balsamic… ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/17 "2006-09-15T17:58:28Z")
Damn - I just bought 2 bags the other day, and thought I was being all good doing something to get more greens in the fambly. Will eating the spinach constitute living on the edge in our slice of whitebread suburbia? ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/18 "2006-09-15T18:04:02Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Damn - I just bought 2 bags the other day, and thought I was being all good doing something to get more greens in the fambly. Will eating the spinach constitute living on the edge in our slice of whitebread suburbia? [/QUOTE] If “living on the edge” is a euphemism for “perching on the porcelain” then yes, it probably is. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/19 "2006-09-15T19:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] If “living on the edge” is a euphemism for “perching on the porcelain” then yes, it probably is. [/QUOTE] LOL! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780/20 "2006-09-15T22:15:47Z")
Potentially stupid question, but I bought spinach 2 days ago in one of those plastic tubs, not a bag. Is there something specific to the tainted spinach being bagged that excludes me from having to throw out mine? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/throw-down-your-arms-err-your-spinach-i-mean/372780.md?page=2)