I’ve traveled to almost 90 countries around the world, including Peru, Austria, Egypt, India, and many, many more. I often travel with my kids, and believe that one of the best parts of travel is trying local food and breaking bread with the locals — including, and perhaps especially, street food.
For the most part, I have been able to avoid food poisoning while traveling by following simple rules I’ve gathered over the years from my doctors, travelers’ health clinics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cyclospora, the pathogen that has sickened thousands across the United States, is also a danger abroad. Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, and norovirus, among many other pathogens, also pose a risk when food is not properly prepared, stored, or handled, says Dr. Karl Kwok, a gastroenterologist with Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Sometimes, food becomes contaminated anyway, even if you do everything right.
“The name of the game is risk management. It is not realistic to expect complete risk avoidance,” he says. Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before eating is just as important abroad as it is at home, but it’s often not enough.
Here are some ways I protect myself when traveling, particularly when I visit places where sanitary practices differ from those I’m used to in the United States or where the risk of food poisoning is high.
I don’t eat fresh foods that can’t be peeled, boiled, or cooked
When I started traveling to parts of the world where parasites are common, one of the first rules I learned was “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.” Although this requires adjusting my salad- and berry-heavy diet, it doesn’t mean I subsist on junk food.
Lettuce and celery are a no-go in many of the destinations I visit, but bananas, peeled cucumbers, carrots, and cooked spinach, broccoli, and potatoes are typically fine. Kwok agreed that avoiding raw fruits and vegetables abroad is a good idea, especially if you are concerned about local sanitation practices. As a general guideline, if it’s not safe to drink the water, I won’t eat raw fruits or vegetables that are washed with that water. I also research CDC guidelines regarding eating raw fruits and vegetables before I land.
On trips around the world, including Peru, Ecuador, Jordan, Egypt, India, and beyond, I avoided eating anything raw. However, on trips to Europe, including France, Italy, England, and Austria, I consumed salads without worry.
I make sure any street food I eat is hot off the grill
Even though I don’t consider myself a foodie, I love trying local specialties. I always prefer street food over gourmet restaurants. However, I don’t go to the first cart or kiosk I see. Typically, I look for vendors with long lines of local customers whose spaces look clean and organized. Although this isn’t foolproof, I assume that if a place is popular with people who live nearby, the food probably isn’t making anyone sick. Additionally, I always ask for food hot off the grill, not something that has been sitting off to the side.
However, consuming street food is always risky. Ideally, all cooked food should be eaten when it is above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, because the germs that cause food poisoning thrive at lower temperatures. However, Kwok acknowledged that “It is difficult to gauge internal temperature for street foods. Realistically, nobody carries a thermometer pen with them on trips.” Instead, Kwok suggested opting for thinner cuts of meat that reach a safe core temperature more easily and checking that seafood is not translucent.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
Whenever possible, street food of any kind “should, as best as possible, appear piping hot,” Kwok explained. Personally, I feel more secure eating street food if I see it steaming. Given how hot street food should be before eating, “Be careful not to burn yourself,” Kwok said.
Although it’s not exactly a scientific approach to food safety, Kwok also agreed I’m doing the right thing by looking for street vendors popular with locals who tend to know the spots that won’t make them sick.
By following these rules, my children and I made it through almost three weeks in India without getting sick once, even though we ate street food several times a week.
I am very cautious with water and ice
Before I travel, I always check CDC guidelines for the country I am visiting to see whether it is safe to drink the water. If it’s not, I stick to bottled water and make sure the bottle is sealed before I take my first sip. When it comes to other types of drinks, like soda, juice, or beer, I typically stick to bottles as well. “Use bottled drinks because manufacturing plants, especially large corporations and international brands, generally follow accepted best practices for hygiene,” Kwok said.
However, it’s not just drinking water that concerns me. If the water isn’t safe to drink where I’m traveling, I don’t ask for ice, and if I am given a glass to pour my drink into, I make sure it is completely dry since even small drops of water left behind after washing can make me sick. Additionally, I use bottled water to brush my teeth, and I am careful not to ingest any water in the shower.
I have stayed at large resorts everywhere from the Dominican Republic to Mexico to Turks and Caicos, where powerful water purification systems are used throughout the property. At these resorts, it’s typically safe to drink the tap water or use it to brush your teeth, and I do sometimes let my guard down when I stay at these types of resorts. However, I still stick to bottled water and remind myself to be cautious as soon as I step off the resort.
I go with my gut
Sometimes avoiding food poisoning comes down to trusting my gut. Even if a restaurant is popular on TikTok, if I walk in and it doesn’t look clean, I keep going. Once, in Vietnam, I sought out a lunch spot everyone told me was delicious. Before sitting down, I went to the bathroom, where I saw a server emerge from a stall and walk out — without washing her hands. I may have missed out on a good meal, but the risk of eating contaminated food was too high.
My experience in Vietnam was a lucky (or maybe unlucky) coincidence. Had I entered the restaurant a few minutes earlier or later, I may have missed the server failing to wash their hands and gotten sick as a result. However, I spent years working in restaurants and always look for other telltale signs of sanitary practices that don’t rely on being in the right place at the right time. Sticky tables, chairs, and dirty floors might not seem like a big deal, but they may also be a sign that the kitchen isn’t as clean as it should be. This isn’t a fool-proof method, but I would rather be safe than sorry.
