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Dining Tips for Avoiding Food Poisoning While Traveling

Things To Do and Look Out For Before and During Your Trip

Last Updated: July 12, 2010

Published: October 4, 2008 by Michael Doom, REHS

 

Food safety and sanitation practices can vary widely not just between countries but even within the same country.  This applies to just about every country in the world including the United States.

When planning to travel, it makes good sense to not only do research on the sites and places to see, but also to know something about how to identify the good and bad, or dangerous places to dine.

For many of us there is this nagging or haunting worry when traveling of getting sick from either bad or contaminated food or water.  For some, including myself, it can be an overwhelming distraction to what should otherwise be a fun trip.  As an experienced inspector and somewhat experienced traveler to countries that have both very poor areas, where there was no electricity or running water, to the complete opposite, more touristy spots, it was not difficult for me to  decide where I was going to eat and stay.

For purposes of this subject, I am going to group travelers into two basic types:  those that travel mainly to resorts and other tourist destinations; and those individuals that like to get away from the tourist areas and get into the real, or authentic and native part of a country. It’s also possible of course, to be a combination of the two.

From a perspective of avoiding the native diseases and food-borne illnesses, the recommendation is to stay, or at least only dine in the tourist destinations.  They are more likely to maintain higher food safety and sanitation standards and practices just to maintain their reputation and return business.

For those travelers that seek out and want to experience the real part of a country—its food, culture etc., be aware that besides the more risky food sanitation practices, there is the fact that the native people have been exposed to the native germs or microorganisms and parasites in their environment since they were born.  They either died as infants or young children, or survived and built a natural resistance and could now be possible carriers.  You, on the other hand, are likely coming from a country where you were never exposed to these native ‘bugs’ and therefore will probably have no resistance to them.

Here are other recommendations to consider (even before you start your trip or decide where to go):

  • Dine and eat only in the tourist areas.  As I mentioned, they tend to maintain higher standards to keep the tourists coming back.
  • Stay away from street vendors! I actually recommend this even in the U.S. but especially in other countries.  Many street vendors, like in the U.S., are unregulated or have set up without a permit or inspection.  Therefore, they probably have not met even the basic standards of food sanitation and safety.  Even some of the native people whom I have spoken to directly, know not to eat from the street vendors, or at least certain ones that have developed a bad reputation.
  • It may not sound fun, especially if you are on vacation, but I suggest eating smaller portions.  This limits your exposure to a potential microorganism contamination.  Your body’s reaction or symptoms, in many cases, is related to the amount of a particular microorganism you ingest.  This is a possible reason why only one person can become ill while another that ate the same food did not. 
  • Do not drink untreated water or beverages containing ice. Stick with a known bottled water label. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a good write up on water and the ways to treat or filter water if bottled water is not available - wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentWaterTreatment.aspx (the ‘n’ after www is not a mistake).
  • Avoid cooked or processed/handled food that has been allowed to stand for several hours at ambient or room temperature.  This practice can be common in areas that do not have the equipment (refrigeration or hot holding units) to hold potentially hazardous foods for long periods of time.
  • Washing your hands is even more important in a strange land than at home because of the possibility of picking up microbes that you have never been exposed to.  Bring along or carry alcohol wipes, or liquid alcohol (at least 60% alcohol concentration), or alcohol-based hand sanitizers with a concentration of 60% to 95% ethanol or isopropanol, to clean your hands with incase running water and soap are not available.
  • Discuss with a travel agent, or anyone you know that has already traveled to this country, the dangers and places and foods or facilities to avoid, as well as those places to seek out.
  • Consult with your doctor about diseases that are common in the country and what measures you can take to help minimize the chances of contracting those illnesses, such as vaccinations.  Also ask for medicines, pills etc. you can carry that may help with the symptoms if you do catch something.
  • Do a search online using the words “travel tips” and the country name you are planning on traveling to.  You will find more information than you can ever get through.
  • Go to the CDC’s website wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx and enter the country you are traveling to. You will see very good traveling tips, current travel notices and advisories on more than just food and water.
  • Read up on the many natural remedies and treatments for food poisonings including preventative remedies you should take along with you when you travel at www.FoodPoisoningPrevention/Treatment_Remedies.htm, such as grapefruit seed extract.

I know this is a lot of “Avoids” and “Stay Away Froms” but I believe the inherent risks of food poisoning while traveling can be managed and minimized with some proactive and precautionary measures and awareness.

About the Author

Michael Doom worked as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) for Los Angeles County for more than 21 years.  For most of these years he worked as a field inspector and Supervising Senior REHS in the retail food inspection programs. His experience within Los Angeles County has taken him to some of the smallest “mom and pop” restaurants and markets in the poorest areas of south Los Angeles, as well as to the largest facilities and affluent areas on the west side. He has literally conducted thousands of inspections of numerous types of restaurants, food markets, warehouses, events, and more; educated hundreds, if not more than a thousand, food facility owners, managers and employees on food sanitation and food safety , and how to prevent food poisoning hazards; has supervised more than 50 field inspectors that were responsible for an inventory of food facilities larger than many U.S. states.

Mr. Doom has a B.S. in Biology from Loyola Marymount University, an REHS with the state of California, holds a Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential from the Project Management Institute, and a Master's Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University.  Mr. Doom continuously works to expand his knowledge and experience in the subject of food safety, sanitation and food poisoning prevention.

He can be reached at Mike@foodpoisoningprevention.com