Unexpected Foods The CDC Recommends Avoiding While Traveling

One of the best parts of traveling is arguably the food. You're getting a chance to eat dishes you may not have experienced before, broadening your palate and giving you a new window into what life is like in another country. While that is true in many cases, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has some warnings about what to avoid in terms of food when traveling that you might not expect. You may have heard that you're supposed to check on whether a country's tap water is safe for foreigners to drink, or you can risk getting a stomach bug that makes you sick while traveling. What you may not know is that one of the foods the CDC says to avoid is salad for this reason. On their website, the organization explains that salads may have been washed in water that is contaminated or unsafe for you to drink. That also goes for cut fruit and veggies (excluding those you've washed in bottled/purified water and peeled or opened yourself). In fact, even items like salsa or condiments that have raw fruit and vegetables are something to avoid. 

Another rather surprising food that might cause you issues while traveling, according to the CDC, is meat or seafood that is cooked in things like acid, citrus, vinegar, or other liquids, like ceviche or tartare. In addition, you're cautioned to avoid wild game, sometimes referred to as "bushmeat." We're talking about animals that aren't generally consumed in the United States, like bats or rodents, which can spread disease. While it's wonderful to be an adventurous eater, these precautions can help keep you healthy while you're on the go. 

There are other precautions that the CDC suggests you take. They recommend you avoid street foods, meaning food from vendors. If you do purchase any, they say you should look at how hot it is. In fact, they suggest you avoid lukewarm food completely, only eat food that has been kept (and still is cold), and that you ensure hot food is still hot. That goes for salad bars and buffets as well. Cold food should be cold and hot food should be steaming. Ideally, food between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which they call the "danger zone," should be avoided. One precaution you can take in addition to all of this is to wash your hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

So what is a traveler to do if you tend to get low blood sugar or are uncomfortable when you don't eat enough, and you're traveling in a place where you don't have confidence in the food safety? First, it's always a good idea to bring some snacks with you that you can keep in your bag. Just make sure these foods are okay to bring through TSA security screenings. For example, peanut butter can be brought in packages under 3.4 ounces in a carry-on, but is classified as a liquid, so you can't bring more than that in a carry-on bag. Another idea is to hit the local grocery store when you visit a new country. You can purchase bottled water and wash the fruits and veggies yourself. You can also buy prepackaged dry foods that may be safer. If you do get sick and need medical assistance, the State Department has a PDF of the equivalents of 911 abroad here.