Is it safe to eat salad overseas? Top travel food safety tips - News + Articles

Jul 16, 2026

Is it safe to eat salad? Can you have ice in your drink? What about meat? Here’s what to eat and what to avoid on your next overseas trip.

Backpacker’s Belly. The Departure Lounge Dash. The Holiday Hovers. We’ve all been there at some point. But right now, a different affliction is making headlines, as thousands of people in the United States are falling prey to what we’re calling the ‘Star-Spangled Sprints’. And it’s all thanks to a microscopic parasite known as Cyclospora. This tiny bug is having an explosive effect on the digestive tracts of hapless US citizens across more than 30 states, and it’s making travellers think twice before ordering that side salad.

Historically, Cyclospora infections have been acquired outside of the US. But in Michigan, where a staggering 3,700+ cases have recently been reported, health officials have pointed to lettuce and bagged salad kits as a common thread, and have told consumers to buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-cut greens.

While an outbreak in Michigan might feel worlds away from a holiday in Bali or Europe, it highlights a universal vulnerability with the way leafy greens are farmed commercially worldwide. Cyclospora itself is rarely fatal; no deaths have been reported in the current US outbreak. But with figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) showing one in nine people falling ill from contaminated or unsafe food each year, and 1.52 million deaths, it’s a timely reminder to understand the risks regarding what’s safe to eat overseas.

Leafy greens — Your healthy eating goals can take a vacation, too.

Is it safe to eat salad overseas?

With more than 8.2 million Australians travelling overseas each year, it’s a great question to ask before a trip. The short answer? Usually, no.

Because leafy greens are grown low to the ground, they are easily splashed by contaminated irrigation water, handled by multiple people and served raw. This makes them a prime vehicle for pathogens. While ordering a caesar salad in London or Tokyo is generally fine, doing so in developing nations or areas with questionable water sanitation is a massive gamble.

Both the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website and the Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) are strictly aligned on this: skip the greens. They officially warn travellers to avoid fresh salads and raw vegetables entirely, as the produce easily comes into contact with soil or water contaminated by run-off or sewage.

fruit salad — Skip the pre-cut salad at the breakfast buffet.

Is it safe to eat fruit overseas?

Fruit is a different story if you’re doing the peeling yourself. Bananas, oranges, pineapples and other fruit with a rind you remove by hand are generally considered safe, since the edible flesh never touches a contaminated surface. But pre-cut fruit, or anything with an edible skin like berries or grapes, is a different matter. According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries, citrus fruit poses “a relatively low microbial food safety risk to consumers” because the skin acts as a natural protective barrier against environmental pathogens.

Seoul food stall meat skewers — Will it be nom, or will it be vom?

Is it safe to eat meat overseas?

Only if it’s cooked through and served hot. That’s according to the Smartraveller’s global guidelines on infectious diseases, which state consuming raw or undercooked poultry, raw milk and unpasteurised dairy are consistently tied to outbreaks of Campylobacter and other bacteria. Meanwhile, raw or undercooked meats are a known source of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

The safest order at any street stall or restaurant overseas is something fried, boiled or steamed, then eaten while it’s still hot. WHO says undercooked meats and poultry and unpasteurised dairy products are primary drivers of foodborne illnesses.

Margaritas — Alcohol won’t kill bacteria from contaminated ice.

Is it safe to eat ice overseas?

If you’re in a country where you shouldn’t drink the tap water, that’s a hard no. A lot of people are caught out with ice. Freezing water doesn’t sterilise it, and cholera – a severe bacterial infection – is almost entirely linked to contaminated water and human sanitation.

Regardless of what the bartender tells you, it’s best to avoid that whisky on the rocks, as the alcohol won’t kill the germs that have been snap-frozen in the cubes. This rule applies to blended drinks, too – that frozen margarita or poolside smoothie contains crushed-up ice, making it equally as risky.

If you need to use water from a tap, FSIC advises that bringing water to a rolling boil (where you can see large bubbles) for at least one minute will kill most organisms. And it suggests using bottled water to brush your teeth.