Microanalytical Quality of Canned Collard, Creecy, Kale, Mustard, and Turnip Greens

A 1-year national retail market survey was made to determine the sanitary quality of canned collard, creecy (land cress), kale, mustard, and turnip greens. The official methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists were used to count light filth such as aphids, thrips, mites, moth larvae, and beetle larvae. Analysis of 997 samples of canned greens weighing 100 g showed filth levels lowest for kale and highest for mustard greens. Maximum counts for defects in each canned green were 71 aphids, thrips, and mites and 7 moth and beetle larvae for canned collard greens; 309 aphids, thrips, and mites and 10 moth and beetle larvae for canned creecy greens; 31 aphids, thrips, and mites and 0 moth and beetle larvae for canned kale greens; 547 aphids, thrips, and mites and 12 moth and beetle larvae for canned mustard greens; and 530 aphids, thrips, and mites and 8 moth and beetle larvae for canned turnip greens. Percent of samples containing each defect ranged as follows: aphids, thrips and mites, 25.0% for canned kale greens to 77.9% for canned mustard greens; moth and beetle larvae, 0% for canned kale greens to 38.5% for canned creecy greens.