Eating is definitely the best part when traveling, but it also puts us at huge risk of falling ill, especially in places where food and water are unsanitary. No matter which part of the world you’re in, stay unharmed as we give you tips to ward off bacteria, parasites and viruses. Catch the travel bug without catching annoying—or even life-threatening!—illnesses with our food and safety travel tips:
1. Be Selective About Raw Food
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| Photo credit: yelp |
As much as you enjoy the fresh sashimi in Japan, or salads offered just about anywhere in the world, be wary of the consequences. Raw foods are subjected to contamination, and travelers should try to avoid anything uncooked and unpasteurized since there’s no heat to kill any bacteria that may be present.
2. Don’t Drink Tap Water Straight From the Sink!
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| Photo credit: Moving to LA Today |
Always, always, always boil water from unknown sources before gulping it down. As contaminated water is one
of the world’s leading causes for illnesses, avoid consuming beverages that may be mixed with local tap water supply or ice, since freezing does not kill most microorganisms.
of the world’s leading causes for illnesses, avoid consuming beverages that may be mixed with local tap water supply or ice, since freezing does not kill most microorganisms.
3. Pick Better Street Food Stalls
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| Photo credit: Chiamhuiy |
The horror! Can you imagine going to Taiwan Shilin Night Market or Thailand Chatuchak Market and not indulging yourself in their street food? We can’t either! You’re probably going to find a lot of mouth-watering food by the street and it is going to be tough resisting them.
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| Photo credit: The Atlantic |
Although cheap and yummy, ingesting street food increases your exposure to germs that cause gastrointestinal infections, leading to diarrhea or vomiting. Additionally, poor hygiene practiced by hawkers when handling street food can cause some of the more dreadful diseases like trachoma (a potentially blinding eye disease caused by bacteria), scabies (a persistent irritating rash caused by tiny crawling mites) and podoconiosis (swollen limbs with thickened skin).
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| Photo credit: wikipedia |
The temptations of street food is strong because off the rich aromas and flavors. Fear not because here are some tips from KKday to help you avoid getting food poisoning and other sicknesses on your food adventures:
- Do not eat anything that has been sitting around, even for a short while
- Pick food stalls many people patronize as they have a quicker turnover of food
- Buy only from clean stalls without visible flies and insects around
- Look out for the vendor’s hands and utensils – are they clean?
Other than being on the look out for the points we mentioned, you can choose to follow street food tours to avoid the whole trouble of scurrying around, looking for washrooms! Here are some street food tours that you’ll enjoy:
