It is important for patrons of foreign restaurants to know that when traveling abroad, a whopping 30-70% of travelers to warm-weather “vacation destinations,” especially equatorial regions, become ill. Most of them become sick with an illness nicknamed “traveler’s diarrhea.” Traveler’s diarrhea is most likely some kind of food poisoning, caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, or in some cases, simply food that the traveler is not accustomed to. The culprit could be a bacteria such as E.coli or Salmonella, a virus such as norovirus or rotavirus, a type of parasite like Cyclospora, or some other pathogen of ingredient the traveler “has not stomach for.”
Many times, the culprit is bacterial, such as E.coli, Salmonella or Campylobater. These bacteria cause a variety of symptoms of which the most common are nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and a fever. It often takes from six to twenty-four hours to appear, and can sometimes be quite serious. One national food poisoning lawyer, Tony Coveny, stated when asked: “Many people who travel aren’t familiar with how their travel destination’s food is processed, what their health sanitation rules are, and how they keep and maintain their restaurants. This can be dangerous, as it is important to be aware of what you are eating and where your food is coming from. In especially warmer countries, bacteria are more prevalent to start with. This, added to a national lack of policing dn monitoring, can add up to food that is not safe to consume.”
“Boil it, Cook it, Peel it, or Forget it”
So how can consumers prevent this from happening? Well, the answer mostly lies in watching what one eats and drinks.
One method travelers can use in order to help them out with this issue is the “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it” rule. This ensures that any food consumed has been either washed, cooked, or stripped of harmful bacteria that a person’s immune system has not yet been exposed to. This means that foods such as raw meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized dairy items are a no-go.
For raw meats, when they haven’t been cooked, the chances of ingesting harmful bacteria and germs increase by tenfold. This is because the high temperatures meat are supposed to be cooked at, kill the bacteria. The heat is called a “kill step” in the industry. With foods such as raw tuna and fish, rare steaks, and other undercooked meats and seafood, this “process “kill step” never happens. The same goes for dairy. Unpasteurized dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream are also a problem. If they are unpasteurized, they avoid the “kill step” needed to ensure they are safe to consume. When they have not been heat-treated, any bacteria, such as Listeria, can make them dangerous.
In foreign countries, another issue can be tap water. Since bacteria and other germs are not visible to the naked eye, consumers can never tell whether or not the water is safe to drink. In order to avoid this, travelers should always make sure to either (1) only drink bottled water, or (2) boil the tap water for at least one minute before drinking it. Some equatorial countries lack proper sanitation and water treatment facilities, and the pipes may be conduits of bacteria.
Although these issues are most prevalent in countries within South America, certain parts of Asia, Africa, and the many island nation, this does not mean U.S. America is not affected by food poisoning. In fact, according to the CDC, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (48 million) become ill every year due to food poisoning. This is why it is important that consumers, and food-industry employees, to be aware of the dangers of both unsanitary conditions and improper food storage and handling.
If a person begins experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms above, especially while traveling, it is vital that they contact their local health provider in order to receive the care they need. Making arrangements to be “well prepared” for travel can also begin with a visit to a physician before even setting foot out the door.
