Nearly 3.5 million Australians travel overseas each year. Your chance of getting food poisoning greatly increases when you travel overseas. Especially if you are going to countries where hygiene is not as effective as in Australia. We also get exposed to other bacteria that we may not be used to when travelling.

Here are some simple tips so that your trip, whether it is for business or pleasure, doesn’t get spoilt by food poisoning:

Handwashing

• Always wash your hands with soap and running water and dry thoroughly before eating.
  
• Remember that bacteria can be carried to the mouth on hands so avoid putting fingers and thumbs anywhere near your mouth.
  
• You may wish to take the extra precaution of using disposable wipes or alcohol-based gels if clean water is not available.

Do drink

• Boiled water is safe. Just bringing it to the boil will kill most organisms.

• Bottled water is usually safe but do check that the seal is unbroken, as refills from the tap are not unknown.

• Purified water. Modern water purifiers are transportable and very effective. Used correctly, they will eliminate any organic material and organisms from water and render it about as safe as you can possibly get.

• Chemically disinfected water.   The simplest way to do this is to use iodine-based tablets drinking water tablets, which are added to water before drinking. The instructions must be followed correctly. You cannot rely on these to work if the water is cloudy or contaminated with organic material such as leafy matter. Only a water purifier could render such water drinkable.

• Cans of soft drink. But make sure your drinks are not served with ice (And no, the alcohol will not kill all the germs in the ice!)

Do not drink

• Any other water. Presume all other sources of water are contaminated. This includes brushing the teeth. Use bottled water for this.

• Ice. Freezing preserves germs; it does not kill them.

Do not eat:

• Uncooked, undercooked food or reheated food .

• Salads or unpeelable fruit and vegetables.

• Ice cream (unless it is an internationally packaged and labelled brand) and dairy products.

• Oysters, clams, mussels, barbecued prawns or mudcrabs.

• Food that has been left around exposed to flies.

• Dishes requiring a lot of food handling to prepare.

Do eat

• Freshly cooked (fried, boiled, steamed) food.

• Peelable fruits -bananas, citrus fruits, etc.

• Food of acceptable brands in cans or sealed packs .

• In well patronised, busy restaurants serving local food.

• Off clean plates with clean cutlery (consider taking your own cutlery) .

• Food prepared by you.

For more information on travelling safely see:

The Travel Doctor’s websitehttp://www.tmvc.com.au/fs_d.asp?UnqID=0.2010252

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smarttraveller website www.smarttraveller.gov.au

November 2005