Food & Drink
What is safe and what is not
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SAFE |
UNSAFE |
Water that is bottled by a reliable source or adequately disinfected by a reliable method -- see "Disinfection of Water for Travelers" (PDF) |
Water from "springs" or other surface sources, open wells, rainbarrels, and tap water (even in luxury hotels) |
| Pasteurized or irradiated milk or cheese. (Note: irradiated milk may be sold in locations where refrigeration is unreliable. It should be sold in a sealed container at room temperature, and only requires refrigeration after the container is opened. | Untreated or raw milk or cheese made from such milk |
| Local, factory-brewed and -bottled beer or carbonated beverages | Fermented drinks prepared in home breweries or distilleries |
| Any of the above beverages served without ice | Any beverage served with ice, unless it is ice that you have made yourself from disinfected or bottled water. |
Meats, poultry, and seafood that are thoroughly cooked and served piping hot without delay. |
Meat or seafoods that are undercooked or raw, or those that are served or reheated after standing at ambient temperature for more than 1 hour. |
| Dry foods: bread, cake, crackers, heavily-sweetened yogurt | Cold sauces, soups, puddings, unsweetened yogurt (Note: ice cream may not be safe; inquire from reliable local sources) |
| Cooked vegetables served hot; raw fruits and vegetables that have been peeled (preferably by you). | Raw vegetables that cannot be peeled (e.g., lettuce, celery, bok choy); salad bars |
Highly sugared foods (e.g., cake icing, sugar-based candies) |
Confections with uncooked ingredients (especially eggs), but unsweetened |