By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 12:24 BST, 25 June 2019 | Updated: 12:25 BST, 25 June 2019
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Raw leafy green vegetables such as lettuce are the most likely to carry dangerous superbugs, researchers have warned.
Scientists found bacteria strong enough to survive antibiotic treatment could be transported on lettuce.
Lettuce, in particular, was of concern to the experts because the natural grooves and folds in its leaves make it difficult to wash thoroughly.
And lettuce and other leafy greens are often eaten raw, meaning bacteria haven't been killed off through heat.
Although farmed meat is known to contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researchers have warned the same illness-causing bugs could be transported from farms on salad vegetables like lettuce which are eaten raw and may be difficult to clean (stock image)
Antibiotic-resistance has been named one of the top threats to human health, and farmed meat is considered to be a major cause.
Many animals are fed antibiotics when they're not even ill in order to make them grow bigger, but bacteria become used to being around the drugs.
But researchers from the University of Southern California say it's not just meat that is to blame, and vegetables may also be playing a role.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are those which have developed to be strong enough to survive treatment with previously effective medicines.
Exposure to antibiotics in small amounts or when there is no infection increases the risk of bacteria getting used to the medicine.
Farm animals being kept to produce meat are sometimes fed
