Tips When Travelling
Yes! All set? Your travel plans are good. Your passport is ready to get stamps and your bag is ready to be carried. But, do you know what might be hiding in the food on your plate as you are travelling? If you have a sensitive stomach, then this is for you. Follow these food-safety tips when travelling.
Safety and security are very important. Assurance of protection while travelling is a must. No one can afford to get hospitalized while travelling and enjoying the beauty of mother earth.
The World Health Organization or WHO estimates that there are 2 million people die each year from contaminated food or drinking water. Which is about 1 out of 10 people! Risks range from:
- Mild: travelers’ diarrhea.
- Serious: hepatitis A and B which can have long-term health effects.
- Fatal: illness caused by harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemical substances.
Plus, it sucks to travel, and instead of enjoying the trip, you will enjoy the bed and medicines. Food poisoning tends to be most severe in impoverished low-income countries.
According to the recent statistics, the death rates from foodborne illness are the highest in Southeast Asia and African countries. Reasons include not clean or not safe water supply, poor personal and self-hygiene, and subpar food production and storage conditions.
If you’re going to a developing country, follow this food-safety when travelling tips from lifetime traveller. Even if you are staying in a five-star hotel. You’ll never know.
Stay safe when travelling. Do not ruin your journey. Do not sacrifice your health in 5 minutes of happiness. Yes, you are saving money while travelling. But, think of your health first before anything else.
Here are the Food-Safety Tips When Travelling:
1. Find out about the water supply in the area
First food-safety tip: Check water supply. Check if your landing destination has a drinkable water supply and medical care that is present in case you do become ill. I advise you to bring your own bottled jar or portable water bottle.
Water is very important for everyone. Most especially for those who are extreme travellers. Making sure that the water is really drinkable will make us save money.
2. Research your landing destination
Next on the food-safety when travelling is making a background check about your landing destination. Anticipate issues. For example, food safety or otherwise, that could arise during your trip.
3. Include your Ultimate Travel Packing Checklist
This is very important. Apart from packing your stuff very well, pack also some necessary medicines. Get enough of your prescription drugs that can last for the trip. Also, fill prescriptions for any recommended special medications.
There are prescriptions that require you to mix with water or food. Make sure that you do the right thing. Making sure that the type of water and food is safe and appropriate to the prescribed medicines.
4. Carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes
These can be used for washing your hands and cleaning your food. You may also use wipes for the fruits that you may eat along the road. When travelling, this food-safety tip should be practiced. Most especially these moments after the pandemic. Never ever eat fruits or vegetables without washing or at least disinfecting them with wipes.
5. Curb your adventurous foodie enthusiasm
This food-safety tip when travelling will save your life.
Meanwhile, it may be tempting, skipping food from the unknown street or roadside sellers can help keep you from getting ill. Moreover, no matter how curious you are, it’s safest to avoid exotic food such as the prepared rat, mouse, unusual wild game, and undergrowth meat.
There is no problem with eating in street food. But, you just have to make sure that the food is safe and to cause foodborne illnesses.
6. Rethink your usual options
Even if you may typically enjoy certain food and beverages at home, your safest stake is to avoid some of those favorites during foreign travels to remote locations. Always remember that foreign food may differ from the food you used to eat in your own country. There might be some ingredients that they put which you are not used to.
7. Clean but not Clean
There are some food items that some vendors sell that may seem clean. Do not be a fool to buy it immediately. Inspect before purchasing. Whenever in doubt, don’t drink tap or well water or anything that was made with it, including fountain drinks. You are not used to it. Your best venture is to opt for sealed, bottled beverages.
8. Avoid raw food products: meat, fish, shellfish, and eggs
This is absolutely one of the food-safety tips when travelling. Avoid uncooked food products.
If you think that you are the only one travelling, then you are wrong. Germs and Bacteria are travelling too. Germs travel beyond borders, including popular travel destinations in improved countries. You can easily get sick from undercooked, raw, and contaminated foods and beverages. So, make sure that the food is cooked and not raw.
9. Consume FDA Certified Products
Make sure that the food product you are about to eat is certified by the FDA.
All food and beverages options matter. Select a healthy eating style at an appropriate calorie level. This is to help achieve and maintain healthy body weight and support nutrient adequacy. If you are planning to go for an extreme adventure like trekking, hiking, etc., you need to have enough energy.
10. Throw food that has been sitting at room temperature
That falls within the temperature “danger zone” where bacteria survive. The bacteria usually grow in what we call a danger zone. This includes not eating from a buffet-style service. In addition to that, food may not always be held at safe temperatures and can easily become mishandled. This may cause severe diarrhea. Settle for cold or hot food only instead.
11. Clean your hands more often
This is a very important food-safety tip when travelling. Proper hand-washing is an important factor to prevent foodborne illnesses. Make sure to clean your hands before eating and touching the food.
Bacteria are found everywhere. Make it a habit to wash your hands more often.
12. Use soap or hand sanitizer
Wash your hands with anti-germ soap with warm water. Most especially before eating and after using the lavatory. If soap and warm water are not present, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer instead. Place it in your carry-on bag, purse, or backpack for easy access just in case you need it.
Now, these are the 12 food-safety tips when travelling abroad. Never ever underestimate the importance of sanitation. Your travel may be compromised when safety is not being taken seriously.
Lifetime Traveller Tip:
Heed these Food-Safety Tips When Travelling. Never ruin your travel because of your dirty habits. Your trip may be compromised if safety is not practiced.
Happy travelling!
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More to read:
Tips for Travelling with Pets
Follow Your Inner Guide and Ditch your Guidebook
Best Ways to Save Money While Travelling
Hi! It’s me! I am a hospitality professional and a part-time blogger! I am a travel dreamer and world conqueror based in Rome, Italy.
When we travel anywhere main problem is stomach problem due to food and water changing. This article helps a lot for that. Great Article..Very Nice Jeric…Thanks for Sharing ??
Happy Journey ??
Hi, Kartik! Thank you so much for your time reading our contents. I, myself, experienced already getting sick because of food contamination during travel. Now, we learned our lessons. ?
Hand hygiene is the most important thing. Thanks for sharing these tips!
That is correct JM. thank you for reading.
When we travel , the main problem is stomach issues due to food and drink changing. This article is very helpful for being fit during travel. Great Article. Thanks for Sharing
Can I use an alcohol spray to disinfect fresh cut fruit and vegetables?
That is a BIG NO NO. Alcohol is use to disinfect surfaces only and cannot be used as a substitute for fresh water. Always remember that alcohol contains dangerous chemical that could give bad reaction when taken internally. Anyway, there wipes available in the market nowadays that could be used to disinfect and clean food and vegetables.