First I become enamored by salad–see Salad Wars–and then I was told to be a little more cautious. Things are a little more confusing, possibly dangerous. What? Not this again.

Yes, it has been the year of food recalls, and this one regarding romaine lettuce is all the more painful since I’ve returned to the salad aisle. We’re talking about a product that was shipped to 29 states–do the math, there are only 50 states, this type of recall, whether merely cautionary or not, affects a large number of people and companies.

It almost doesn’t matter what food is being recalled, but that food recalls have become so numerous, and we as consumers are so vulnerable. This has been the year of the peanut butter, pistachio, and refrigerated cookie dough recall–all products that cut across a broad swath of our society. As we try to improve food safety and consider giving the FDA greater powers and more staff, we are still left without 100% confidence.

It always goes back to the question of who to trust. Even if you have befriended your local farmer and visit numerous farm stands for your fruits and vegetables, there are still plenty of days you need to pop into the supermarket, sometimes just for that extra head of lettuce or some cilantro, another product recently on the recall list.

Whether you call it coriander or cilantro, lettuce or romaine, it behooves us to stay alert.

Time to start more seeds for the fall homegrown crops!