Eating and drinking in distant lands

Freshly squeezed fruit juices and exotic snacks tempt you on long-distance journeys. The smell of fried specialties is in the air, and mobile traders offer fruit and vegetables on rolling carts. Even if forays into the local cuisine are very worthwhile, long-distance travelers should be careful when eating and drinking. Harmful germs multiply particularly quickly in heat and high humidity. Careless indulgence can have unpleasant consequences such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which nobody really needs on vacation.

In general, the World Health Organization recommends the following principle for nutrition in tropical and subtropical countries: "Peel it, boil it or leave it!" ("Peel it, boil it or leave it!"). Drinking water should always be boiled, as the quality cannot be compared with Central European standards. Always order your drink without ice cubes as they may be contaminated. Drinking a lot is particularly important when the temperature is high. If you want to be on the safe side, you can buy water in the originally closed bottle - also for brushing your teeth.

Thorough hand washing before meals reduces the risk of infection. Do not eat anything that has been in the heat for a long time. Instead of a pre-cut fruit salad, it is better to peel the fruit and vegetables yourself. Meat, eggs and seafood should only be eaten well cooked to kill any germs. In the tropics, some fish can still be poisonous even when cooked, explains the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Therefore, without adequate knowledge of the species, no self-caught fish should be eaten.

Artisan ice cream can be a health concern in tropical countries, so packaged popsicles are a better choice. Anyone who follows these rules is easy on the sensitive European stomach and can enjoy their holiday in a relaxed manner, no matter where they are.

Heike Kreutz www.bzfe.de