Welcome to Travelturtle, the travel health advice site that provides you with country specific medical and vaccination reports usually only available to registered UK healthcare professionals.
This page offers advice on all issues surrounding food health abroad, coupled with drinking water overseas.
- Find information in regards to the principles of food abroad and drinking water abroad
- Details on how to treat potentially contaminated water to provide drinking water overseas.
- A comprehensive list of foreign food dangers and which foreign food is best avoided.
- Further information about the risks of water can be attained as well as key tips on how to treat any water you consume overseas.
Food and drink
Food and drink
Contaminated foreign food and drink are among the most important causes of travel-related disease and the main cause of travellers’ diarrhea – the most common illness caught abroad.
Following sensible precautions when eating food abroad will reduce risk.
Remember the mantra………
- boil it
- peel it
- cook it
OR FORGET IT
Food to be wary of to avoid food poisoning abroad
- Salads, since salad ingredients are often grown close to the ground and may be contaminated.
- Unwashed vegetables, unless they can be peeled.
- Food in buffets that has been left to stand at a lukewarm temperature.
- Any food that has been in contact with flies.
- Milk and milk products.
- Ice cream – it requires a strictly controlled environment from manufacture to plate and is a risky food in developing countries.
- Seafood and shellfish.
- Food from street vendors unless it is cooked in front of the traveller, as in wok-fried food in Asian food markets.
Risks from drinking water abroad
- Tap water should be avoided unless it has been treated. Most hotels will advise if their water is safe to drink or will provide bottled water.
- Bottled water is safe but seals on bottles should be checked to make sure they have not been refilled with tap water.
- Fizzy drinks are safe.
- Hot drinks such as tea and coffee are safe as temperatures above 60 centigrade kill most organisms
- Beer and wine are safe.
- Beware of ice! It can be made from contaminated water.
Treating water
- Boiling will always work but is often impractical.
- Iodine or chlorine drops will kill most bugs, though some protozoan infections can resist it. Neutralise the taste of iodine with Vitamin C.
- Water filters will remove virtually all bugs and some reverse osmosis bags are even more effective
