Food Safety Abroad: Healthy Eating Anywhere
Culinary Traveling
Food is the ultimate part of the travel experience. Generations have gradually perfected the art of making meals taste unique and good, lending an air of fascination to culinary travel. That being said, it’s important to spend time understanding where to eat out and looking for restaurants and food safety around the world.
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Restaurant Hygiene
Nothing ruins a trip more thoroughly than sickness, and food poisoning is among the most unpleasant.
To avoid getting sick, a person should take the following precautions when eating out.
Firstly, when eating at a restaurant anywhere in the world, check the restrooms. Bathrooms are notoriously easy to clean. All the surfaces in a bathroom are designed explicitly to be easily wiped down and sanitized.
This is starkly different from a kitchen, which is designed primarily to cook food. Kitchens take a fair bit more effort to keep clean.
If a restaurant isn’t willing to keep a bathroom clean, they probably aren’t doing their due diligence where food is being prepared. An unkempt bathroom is a clear red flag anywhere in the world.
When eating out, also avoid eating uncooked foods. Some meals demand this, such as sushi. In these cases, specifically seek out high-class, verified restaurants that are known for taking extra precautions.
In general, avoid restaurants which serve food buffet style, since the low heat and long hours being left out can potentially breed bacteria.
The safest things to eat while traveling are hot meals and meals which are served dry.
Water Hygiene
Water around the world has all sorts of contaminations. Microplastics, bacteria, parasites, minerals and other pollutants. If a restaurant is serving glasses of water in a country where tap water is contaminated, you must not drink it.
Even if other locals are drinking tap water without apparent ill effects, this immunity may not extend to you. Locals are inoculated to certain environmental pollutants that you are not. Only drink bottled water you receive. Ensure the seal is unbroken, as some places in the world will refill bottles of water to resell them, saving money.
If you’re uncertain about the status of water being served to you, consider ordering carbonated water. Carbonated water has bubbles which are very difficult for restaurants to replicate, so you can always be sure it was recently opened.
This taboo extends to ice. If the tap water is undrinkable, the ice is probably unsafe as well. Ask your server if ice is made from filtered water or tap water before consuming.
Eat Popular
If you’re the only one buying gas station sushi, you should probably put the packet back.
The judgment of the populous is often harsh, but generally correct. When sitting down to eat, make sure there are other locals in the area willing to try the same restaurant. If you’re out on a Saturday night on a busy street and alone in a restaurant, this should be a warning sign.
Eating at popular establishments usually indicates a higher quality of food as well as higher quality of sanitation.
Street Food Safety
Ironically, one of the safest ways to eat while traveling involves stopping at street stalls for meals.
Street food has a somewhat bad reputation as a place to get food poisoning. However, the reverse is usually true. Street food is one of the safest thing to eat while traveling.
Since you can see the actual place where food is being prepared, it becomes much easier to judge the food’s safety. Check for the following.
- Are the knives and other culinary instruments being cleaned after each use?
- Is the grill or cooking platform clean or covered in grease and soot?
- Does the stall owner have on proper attire (hair nets, gloves, etc.)
- Are perishable ingredients being stored in a cooler or are they left at room temperature?
- Are foods properly cooked over heat?
Following these rules generally helps a person navigate street food.
Dairy Gambles
Eating dairy while traveling is a bit of a gamble. Dairy tends to spoil faster than most other foods. Furthermore, in hot areas, certain types of dairy may be accidentally heated and then recooled, after going bad. Developing countries in particular tend to struggle with preserving dairy.
When eating Ice Cream, check the shape. An overly-smooth or lopsided shape might imply that ice cream has melted and then refrozen, which is dangerous to eat.
If you’re unsure about a dairy source, such as milk for tea, consider boiling it to stave off any dangerous bacteria.
Keep in mind, the majority of the world has a large segment of the population which is lactose intolerant. Many regions in Asia, Africa and South America can’t digest dairy well, making cheeses and milk products more expensive. This limitation can mean locals in a developing region without stable cooling, are somewhat unaware on how to properly preserve dairy.
Wet Markets and Bushmeat
Culinary exploration is a common part of travel. Many travelers want to try unusual foods, such as wild game recently caught or outlandish flora with odd flavors. Ostrich meat, lizard tails, exotic fruits and pickled rodents all fall under this category.
If you want to try some unusual foods go to an extremely well-vetted vendor or professional chef. Eating food directly from wet markets or bushmeat stalls is very dangerous and can result in illnesses worse than food poisoning.
Know Your Stomach
Part of food safety abroad involves understanding your own diet. Eating something wildly unusual your body is prepared for can be a shock to your system. It doesn’t matter how perfectly prepared a spicy monkey brain is: a person’s mind and stomach might not be able to handle it.
Use your best judgement. If something is too outlandish or pungent for you, it’s okay to put your comfort first.
Eating Safely Abroad
Overall, food is one of the best aspects of travel. Be sure to carefully vet the places you’re eating to ensure your culinary journeys are pleasant ones. Novel food experiences are much more enjoyable and lower-risk when following the food safety advice above.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean