Traveling to America - should I be concerned?
Replies
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Since America is a rather large part of the continent....
"America" actually covers two entire continents. Specificity is required!0 -
No, you will be fine. I would stay away from the fast foods most definately! Yes, they get inspected as well as any other place. Fast food quality is not good!0
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West Hollywood...
Where do I get that?
While you're in Northern CA, be sure you enjoy some creamofsumyoungguy. It's a delicacy there.
Northern CA. I'll be calorie counting, it should be ok. Maybe I can buy one of those cleanses or GNC products we can't get here?Yes, eat fast food for every meal and then come back and tell us why you feel like death and you've gained 40 lbs on a 2 week trip.
What part of the country are you travelling to? Some parts of the country have MUCH better options and availability than others. It's a pretty big country.
:indifferent:
But that's Southern California - and here you were questioning my intelligence. Tsk-Tsk.0 -
Are you completely retarded or is it an "it comes and goes" thing...????
Are you a complete @ss, or does it come and go?0 -
Gay men tend to avoid NorCal
But that's Southern California - and here you were questioning my intelligence. Tsk-Tsk.
West Hollywood...
Where do I get that?
While you're in Northern CA, be sure you enjoy some creamofsumyoungguy. It's a delicacy there.
Northern CA. I'll be calorie counting, it should be ok. Maybe I can buy one of those cleanses or GNC products we can't get here?Yes, eat fast food for every meal and then come back and tell us why you feel like death and you've gained 40 lbs on a 2 week trip.
What part of the country are you travelling to? Some parts of the country have MUCH better options and availability than others. It's a pretty big country.
:indifferent:0 -
Dude........... you're Mexican................... Taco Bell
Simples
Dude...that was not cool...
Yeah. Skip the taco bell. You can't get any tripas and nopales there!0 -
JUST DON'T DRINK THE TAP WATER!!!!0
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Yes, pack two weeks worth of raw dairy and meat. Enjoy your trip!
I really wish MFP had a "like" button!
As do I! That was awesome.0 -
You might have trouble finding these in a supermarket, but they wouldn't be any more dangerous for you here than they are in Europe. In many places in the US it is illegal to sell "raw" aka unpasteurized milk. Pasteurized is safe no matter where you live.I eat a lot of dairy here in Europe and things like:
- unpasturized cheese
- raw milk
I think these would actually be safer in the US. Here, most supermarket eggs have been washed and treated with a chemical, if I remember right. This reduces the risk of salmonella contamination (all chickens have salmonella in their internal egg making parts, which contaminates the outside of the shell.). However, it also weakens the shells. This is why you'll find our eggs in the refrigerated section of the store instead of on a normal shelf. When you purchase them, take them home and keep them in the fridge. They will last longer in the fridge with weak shells than they will at room temp.- raw eggs
If you would like to eat them raw, you can. There is some risk, but like I said, the risk it actually reduced if they've been pre-cleaned already. I tend to only eat them raw as part of cookie dough, but whatever floats your boat.
Considering it was invented here I don't think you'll have a problem finding that safely.- peanut butter
Never heard of mett. Tartar I have heard off. I don't care for either. There is always a risk when you consume undercooked meat. The risk is not any greater in the US than in Europe. Having said that, I think the US actually has a safer track record when it comes to Mad Cow disease than parts of Europe (Britain?), but I'm not positive.- Mett - raw minced pork meat
- steak tartare - raw beef
It's oyster season right now. You can get them raw or steamed plenty easily. Most oysters are safe in restaurants. However if you choose to hop in an random wild oyster bed to harvest them yourself be aware than you may need a licence and that you would need to check the safety status of that specific area. I can get oysters harvested fresh and safe from local oyster beds in just about every restaurant in town because I'm on the coast. All restaurants are required to post when the oysters were harvested and where they came from.- oysters
Did you know that a lot of Japanese sushi is actually sourced from the US? Ask the chef when and where their fish comes from. Some of the really nice places near us actually get their fish flown in directly from the major markets in Tokyo or New York.sushi, sashimi,
I've never seen this on a menu, so good luck.crudos, etc...
The US is a major food exporter for the world. Our food is generally safe. It's closely monitored. Food problems are rare which is why the media makes a big deal about them when they happen. Plane crashes are rare too, but you would think they were more dangerous than cars based on media coverage. The unusual gets attention. Normal doesn't.But from all the threads here, it seems that the food in America is dangerous and I don't think I can travel with two weeks of food. A lot of threads here talk about bad dairy, bad eggs, bad peanut butter. I'm not sure I should eat at places where I don't know the source.Or should I stick to fast food places where I understand that the food quality is controlled and tested. I know it's strange to focus on that but I'm concerned about the quality of restaurants and I really won't have a car there nor a place to cook.
All restaurants, even little "mom and pop" places will be monitored by the local health department. They are required by law to have their health score posted for you to see. Personally, I rarely see any place with a rating below an A. Fast food is probably the worse in my area because people who work there don't care. Conversely, many locally run restaurants have scores of 99 or better in my town. I flat out refuse to eat anywhere with a score less than 90. I think twice about places with a score below 95 just because I know there are so many places that do much better.Thanks for your advise.
My dad is a microbiologist. A few tricks from him that I've used both home and abroad:
1) Before you order at a restaurant, go to the bathroom. That way you can wash your hands. And, if the bathroom is dirty, assume the kitchen and staff are as well. I don't eat at places with icky bathrooms or poor health department scores.
2) Avoid buffets and salad bars. The warm food is rarely kept warm enough and the cold food rarely kept cold enough. Plus you don't know who used their fingers instead of a spoon before you got there or who might have sneezed on stuff.
3) Pay attention to the posted health department rating. Use it as a guide. It's pretty scandalous for a place to get a "B" rating in my area. Most places will also post the number as well as the letter.
And some personal ones:
1) Eating "local" and "sourcing" food so that you know where it comes from is very popular now days. Local restaurants are more likely to tell you when and where they got the food for your meal and how it was prepared than some careless fast food joint. Many "hip" places will list where the food comes from right on the menu. Eat local and enjoy! My favorite sushi bar posts new pictures of the chef at the fish market with his most recent purchases and plays the photos on a digital screen near his station.
2) In my town, the tap water is actually healthier than most bottled waters. It confuses me when I go abroad and they don't have good water straight from the faucet. We get a water report from the county every couple months. So, if the locals drink the tap water, you can probably assume you can as well. I remember being really annoyed in Germany and Austria when all the bottled water was carbonated--ick! I couldn't wait to get a plain glass of water right from the faucet when I got home.0 -
I'm pretty sure you'll be perfectly fine eating our food ha.0
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And in answer to your question "hundred" was an exaggeration.
There are 24 countries in North America (Canada, United States of America, & Mexico are the big ones in North America, but when you add in Central America the countries get smaller in size and there are alot more of them.) There are 12 countries in South America. You can add in the island countries in the Caribbean (which there are several) but that is not technically on the continent of the Americas.
You will be fine. For unpasturized milk, eggs, or cheese, you will need a specialty or "whole" food store like New Leaf, Whole Foods, or New Frontiers which you should be able to find easily in Northern California. Don't eat the raw beef or pork even from these grocery stores as they are not intended for raw consumption. Most fish you find will only be meant to be eaten once cooked, if you ask the deli worker, he or she will help you get Sushi grade level raw fish. There are great vineyards in Northern California. Try the local wine whenever you can.
You will see a lot more fast food chains than you are used to. It is not that they are unsafe, simply they will have a higher fat/lower quality than you will want if you are counting calories. The independent restaurants can be wonderful. The easiest way to know is to check out the bathroom. If it is clean and smells okay. You should be fine, if not leave and go some place else. Coffee - sorry, but that is going to be a struggle. Try to do an internet search for coffee shops around where you are going to be staying and then start checking each one out once you get here.
Good luck, enjoy your stay, and have fun! 0 -
we tend to be a country of over-reactors. don't worry and avoid our fast food if possible.
this is 100% true0 -
Careful friend, I ate the food and gained 50lbs!0
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wat?0
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You might have trouble finding these in a supermarket, but they wouldn't be any more dangerous for you here than they are in Europe. In many places in the US it is illegal to sell "raw" aka unpasteurized milk. Pasteurized is safe no matter where you live.I eat a lot of dairy here in Europe and things like:
- unpasturized cheese
- raw milk
I think these would actually be safer in the US. Here, most supermarket eggs have been washed and treated with a chemical, if I remember right. This reduces the risk of salmonella contamination (all chickens have salmonella in their internal egg making parts, which contaminates the outside of the shell.). However, it also weakens the shells. This is why you'll find our eggs in the refrigerated section of the store instead of on a normal shelf. When you purchase them, take them home and keep them in the fridge. They will last longer in the fridge with weak shells than they will at room temp.- raw eggs
If you would like to eat them raw, you can. There is some risk, but like I said, the risk it actually reduced if they've been pre-cleaned already. I tend to only eat them raw as part of cookie dough, but whatever floats your boat.
Considering it was invented here I don't think you'll have a problem finding that safely.- peanut butter
Never heard of mett. Tartar I have heard off. I don't care for either. There is always a risk when you consume undercooked meat. The risk is not any greater in the US than in Europe. Having said that, I think the US actually has a safer track record when it comes to Mad Cow disease than parts of Europe, but I'm not positive.- Mett - raw minced pork meat
- steak tartare - raw beef
It's oyster season right now. You can get them raw or steamed plenty easily. Most oysters are safe in restaurants. However if you choose to hop in an random wild oyster bed to harvest them yourself be aware than you may need a licence and that you would need to check the safety status of that specific area. I can get oysters harvested fresh and safe from local oyster beds in just about every restaurant in town because I'm on the coast. All restaurants are required to post when the oysters were harvested and where they came from.- oysters
Did you know that a lot of Japanese sushi is actually sourced from the US? Ask the chef when and where they're fish comes from. Some of the really nice places near us actually get their fish flown in directly from the major markets in Tokyo or New York.sushi, sahimi,
I've never seen this on a menu, so good luck.crudos, etc...
The US is a major food exporter for the world. Our food is generally safe. It's closely monitored. Food problems are rare which is why the media makes a big deal about them when they happen. Plane crashes are rare too, but you would think they were more dangerous than cars based on media coverage. The unusual gets attention. Normal doesn't.But from all the threads here, it seems that the food in America is dangerous and I don't think I can travel with two weeks of food. A lot of threads here talk about bad dairy, bad eggs, bad peanut butter. I'm not sure I should eat at places where I don't know the source.Or should I stick to fast food places where I understand that the food quality is controlled and tested. I know it's strange to focus on that but I'm concerned about the quality of restaurants and I really won't have a car there nor a place to cook.
All restaurants, even little "mom and pop" places will be monitored by the local health department. They are required by law to have their health score posted for you to see. Personally, I rarely see any place with a rating below an A. Fast food is probably the worse in my area because people who work there don't care. Conversely, many locally run restaurants have scores of 99 or better in my town. I flat out refuse to eat anywhere with a score less than 90. I think twice about places with a score below 95 just because I know there are so many places that do much better.Thanks for your advise.
My dad is a microbiologist. A few tricks from him that I've used both home and abroad:
1) Before you order at a restaurant, go to the bathroom. That way you can wash your hands. And, if the bathroom is dirty, assume the kitchen and staff are as well. I don't eat at places with icky bathrooms or poor health department scores.
2) Avoid buffets and salad bars. The warm food is rarely kept warm enough and the cold food rarely kept cold enough. Plus you don't know who used their fingers instead of a spoon before you go there or who might have sneezed on stuff.
3) Pay attention to the posted health department rating. Use it as a guide. It's pretty scandalous for a place to get a "B" rating in my area. Most places will also post the number as well as the letter.
And some personal ones:
1) Eating "local" and "sourcing" food so that you know where it comes from is very popular now days. Local restaurants are more likely to tell you when and where they got the food for your meal and how it was prepared than some careless fast food joint. Many "hip" places will list where the food comes from right on the menu. Eat local and enjoy! My favorite sushi bar posts new pictures of the chef at the fish market with his most recent purchases and plays the photos on a digital screen near his station.
2) In my town, the tap water is actually healthier than most bottled waters. It confuses me when I go abroad and they don't have good water straight from the faucet. We get a water report from the county every couple months. So, if the locals drink the tap water, you can probably assume you can as well.
/thread0 -
I've never had a problem when I've visited...0
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JUST DON'T DRINK THE TAP WATER!!!!
tap water is just fine, we have chloride in our water so just leave your tooth brush at home.0 -
Are you completely retarded or is it an "it comes and goes" thing...????
I just spit out my lemon water on my keyboard at this one.... people are looking at me.0 -
Are you completely retarded or is it an "it comes and goes" thing...????I just spit out my lemon water on my keyboard at this one.... people are looking at me.
Someone calling another person retarded brought you to that kind of laughter? Wow.0 -
Mmmm If you meant United States then I can give you a few tips. Our food is probably one of the worst in the world, genetically modified, processed and full of pesticides, artificial ingredients and dyes. Our meats are injected with antibiotics and hormones, our milk is so processed they have to dye it back to white because it usually turns blue. I live in TX and you can find raw dairy here. I would stick to organic foods and there is a grocery store called Whole Foods where you can find better quality food. Also if you're planning on cooking, find where the nearest farmers market is and shop local.0
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Eso...Yeah. Skip the taco bell. You can't get any tripas and nopales there!
0 -
I just burned like 600 calories laughing at this thread!!!0
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Dude........... you're Mexican................... Taco Bell
Simples
Dude...that was not cool...
I like taco bell, it's an US thing, we can't get that here. Or in Mexico.
Yo quiero Taco Bell.
At least you have sense of humor...:happy:
Ya think. :flowerforyou:0 -
Just because "bad food" gets attention does not men it is worse in certain countries, maybe the media just is better at telling you about it. The US has the FDA which regularly monitors imports and domestic food to meet their required levels of contaminents.
Oh, and FYI.. raw milk is also a very high cause of E. Coli poisoning.0 -
[/quote]
Ya think. :flowerforyou:
[/quote]
Si.0 -
You might have trouble finding these in a supermarket, but they wouldn't be any more dangerous for you here than they are in Europe. In many places in the US it is illegal to sell "raw" aka unpasteurized milk. Pasteurized is safe no matter where you live.I eat a lot of dairy here in Europe and things like:
- unpasturized cheese
- raw milk
I think these would actually be safer in the US. Here, most supermarket eggs have been washed and treated with a chemical, if I remember right. This reduces the risk of salmonella contamination (all chickens have salmonella in their internal egg making parts, which contaminates the outside of the shell.). However, it also weakens the shells. This is why you'll find our eggs in the refrigerated section of the store instead of on a normal shelf. When you purchase them, take them home and keep them in the fridge. They will last longer in the fridge with weak shells than they will at room temp.- raw eggs
If you would like to eat them raw, you can. There is some risk, but like I said, the risk it actually reduced if they've been pre-cleaned already. I tend to only eat them raw as part of cookie dough, but whatever floats your boat.
Considering it was invented here I don't think you'll have a problem finding that safely.- peanut butter
Never heard of mett. Tartar I have heard off. I don't care for either. There is always a risk when you consume undercooked meat. The risk is not any greater in the US than in Europe. Having said that, I think the US actually has a safer track record when it comes to Mad Cow disease than parts of Europe (Britain?), but I'm not positive.- Mett - raw minced pork meat
- steak tartare - raw beef
It's oyster season right now. You can get them raw or steamed plenty easily. Most oysters are safe in restaurants. However if you choose to hop in an random wild oyster bed to harvest them yourself be aware than you may need a licence and that you would need to check the safety status of that specific area. I can get oysters harvested fresh and safe from local oyster beds in just about every restaurant in town because I'm on the coast. All restaurants are required to post when the oysters were harvested and where they came from.- oysters
Did you know that a lot of Japanese sushi is actually sourced from the US? Ask the chef when and where they're fish comes from. Some of the really nice places near us actually get their fish flown in directly from the major markets in Tokyo or New York.sushi, sahimi,
I've never seen this on a menu, so good luck.crudos, etc...
The US is a major food exporter for the world. Our food is generally safe. It's closely monitored. Food problems are rare which is why the media makes a big deal about them when they happen. Plane crashes are rare too, but you would think they were more dangerous than cars based on media coverage. The unusual gets attention. Normal doesn't.But from all the threads here, it seems that the food in America is dangerous and I don't think I can travel with two weeks of food. A lot of threads here talk about bad dairy, bad eggs, bad peanut butter. I'm not sure I should eat at places where I don't know the source.Or should I stick to fast food places where I understand that the food quality is controlled and tested. I know it's strange to focus on that but I'm concerned about the quality of restaurants and I really won't have a car there nor a place to cook.
All restaurants, even little "mom and pop" places will be monitored by the local health department. They are required by law to have their health score posted for you to see. Personally, I rarely see any place with a rating below an A. Fast food is probably the worse in my area because people who work there don't care. Conversely, many locally run restaurants have scores of 99 or better in my town. I flat out refuse to eat anywhere with a score less than 90. I think twice about places with a score below 95 just because I know there are so many places that do much better.Thanks for your advise.
My dad is a microbiologist. A few tricks from him that I've used both home and abroad:
1) Before you order at a restaurant, go to the bathroom. That way you can wash your hands. And, if the bathroom is dirty, assume the kitchen and staff are as well. I don't eat at places with icky bathrooms or poor health department scores.
2) Avoid buffets and salad bars. The warm food is rarely kept warm enough and the cold food rarely kept cold enough. Plus you don't know who used their fingers instead of a spoon before you go there or who might have sneezed on stuff.
3) Pay attention to the posted health department rating. Use it as a guide. It's pretty scandalous for a place to get a "B" rating in my area. Most places will also post the number as well as the letter.
And some personal ones:
1) Eating "local" and "sourcing" food so that you know where it comes from is very popular now days. Local restaurants are more likely to tell you when and where they got the food for your meal and how it was prepared than some careless fast food joint. Many "hip" places will list where the food comes from right on the menu. Eat local and enjoy! My favorite sushi bar posts new pictures of the chef at the fish market with his most recent purchases and plays the photos on a digital screen near his station.
2) In my town, the tap water is actually healthier than most bottled waters. It confuses me when I go abroad and they don't have good water straight from the faucet. We get a water report from the county every couple months. So, if the locals drink the tap water, you can probably assume you can as well. I remember being really annoyed in Germany and Austria when all the bottled water was carbonated--ick! I couldn't wait to get a plain glass of water right from the faucet when I got home.
This is actually an excellent post.
Thank you. Your dad taught you well.0 -
I've gotten food poisoning there before. Be careful.
See, my concern too. I bought a water filter to make coffee. I hear your coffee is weak, but Starbucks tastes like burnt stuff - hmm maybe bring an Italian?
Don’t forget your special electrical adapter there House.0 -
Ok, now that my laughter has subsided, go to a grocery store or a health food store for you food when visiting. Goodness our food is regulated by the FDA, perfect - no, good grief. Quite honestly avoid the fast food at all costs - it's not worth the sodium or fat content and even the healthy options are mediocre. Create your own - and how on this little green earth can you pack raw dairy and come from Europe to the US? Seriously - good luck in customs.
Don't stress, you have basic skills that will get you through your visit. I'm sure you'll do fine, just be smart about your eating choices.0 -
You should be able to find creamofsumyoungguy at any Asian place while you're in Cali.
Also, I'm not sure if that area has tube steak, but if they do, you HAVE to try it. I sure love me some tube steak, I enjoy it about once or twice a week.0
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