A man knocking on doors and offering free salad is not part of a scam.

A Redbridge resident contacted the Recorder after he rang her doorbell, offered to cook her dinner and then asked to come in and wash his hands.

“With all these burglaries I thought it might be a scam,” she said.

“You can never be too careful.

“If he was dodgy I wanted to let others know to keep their eyes peeled.

“Salad is such a funny thing to speak to anyone about - it was either completely genuine or a great ruse.”

The Recorder approached businesses connected with salad-making in the borough and Ultra Health Systems in Ley Street, Ilford, confirmed representatives were contacting households in the borough and it was a legitimate venture.

“We are a health and nutrition company who teach families to live a healthier lifestyle by reducing lifestyle disease (like diabetes and cancer) through the food we eat,” a spokesman said.

“We are currently running a healthy eating campaign, where we offer customers free salad in an effort to get families eating healthier. “If people express an interest in wanting to eat healthier, then we also give them a chance to have a qualified member of our team cook a three course meal for up to six family members in the comfort of their homes using a unique healthy cooking system.”

The spokesman said that all people working for the company will have Saladmaster branded clothing and ID and if residents are unsure they should feel free to ask to see it.

”We understand concerns that the public may have, but we are solely focused on ensuring that individuals and families within our local communities have greater information to make better health choices,” he added.

“We are also working with several supermarkets in the area to boost the consumption of salad.”