Eating out in the Rain: Choosing Safe Restaurants and Food Vendors

The rainy season is the time of the year making you crave hot, tangy and spicy foods. Eating out in the monsoon is a unanimous choice for various reasons like they have a huger platter of dishes and are quickly available at your comfort.

A few things we have to be mindful of while eating out in the rain are extra care on hygiene issues, food storage and preparation, clean water and cleanliness of restaurants and staff hygiene.

Safe Food Storage and Preparation During the Rainy Season

Storage Issues with Street Food

Storage is a significant concern when consuming street food, especially during the rainy season. Food should be stored in tight and sealed containers to prevent contamination, which can be challenging for street food vendors.

Importance of Serving Hot and Fresh Food

Cooked foods can easily become contaminated during the rainy season. It is crucial to serve food hot and immediately refrigerate any leftovers to prevent contamination.

High-Risk Foods

Poultry (meat and eggs), seafood, milk and its products, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, vegetables, and fruits are high-risk foods. These should be thoroughly cooked to avoid food poisoning and fungal infections.

Risks of Fungal Infections

Fungal diseases can cause serious health issues and even death. Food-borne fungi, such as yeasts and moulds, produce toxins called mycotoxins. These are commonly found in cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, and coffee during the rainy season. Mycotoxins can cause acute food poisoning, immune diseases, and cancer.

Serving Food at Correct Temperatures

Avoid lukewarm food during the rainy season. Serve hot foods hot and cold foods cold. In restaurants, request that hot foods like soups be served very hot and cold foods like salads be served cold. Germs that cause food poisoning grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Refrigerating Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers as quickly as possible. Leftover food should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking or sooner if exposed to high temperatures (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Consume refrigerated leftovers within 3-4 days to avoid health risks.

Common Waterborne Diseases During Monsoon

Waterborne diseases are quite common during the monsoon season. Precautions are necessary for diseases like typhoid, cholera, and diarrhoea as they spread through contaminated water. Ensure the water you use is sufficiently filtered and boiled before consumption.

Cholera: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Causes and Symptoms

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by infection of the intestine. Symptoms of cholera infection include watery diarrhoea, leg cramps, and vomiting.

Prevention

To prevent cholera, use and drink safe water only. If the water is suspected to be unsafe or contaminated, treat it with chlorine, boil it, treat it with bleach, or filter it.

Typhoid: Causes and Prevention

Causes

Typhoid occurs due to unsafe food and drinking habits and poor sanitation. The risk is higher during the monsoon due to the difficulty in maintaining hygiene by food vendors.

Prevention

Carefully manage eating and drinking habits to avoid typhoid attacks. During monsoons, be extra cautious about consuming water and food from sources that might be contaminated.

Cleanliness of Restaurants and Staff Hygiene

Choose a restaurant which has a clean environment. A dirty place will become a source of many diseases, typhoid, cholera and diarrhoea, due to infections like E.coli, staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium botulinum. Choose a restaurant or eatery where the staff use neat and safe types of equipment like hand gloves, chef-apron etc. The medical and fitness tests of the hotel staff are maintained and updated regularly.

How to Choose the Right Restaurant in the Rainy Season?

When deciding to eat out, it’s crucial to select a restaurant that maintains high standards of hygiene and cleanliness, especially in food preparation and storage areas. Here are some tips to help you choose the right place:

Separation of Raw and Cooked Foods

Ensure that the restaurant keeps raw and cooked foods well separated. This prevents cross-contamination, which is essential for food safety.

Cleanliness and Hygiene

Check if the restaurant is clean overall. Hygienic surfaces and clean utensils or vessels are indicators of a well-maintained establishment. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the tables, floors, and serving areas.

Clean and Well-Maintained Toilets

A restaurant with clean and well-maintained toilets often reflects the overall hygiene practices of the establishment. Dirty conditions in the general public areas, including the restrooms, can give you a clue about the cleanliness in the cooking area, where you have limited or no access.

Checking Reviews and Ratings

Before choosing a restaurant, check online reviews and ratings to gauge its reputation for maintaining hygiene standards. Reviews from other customers can provide valuable insights into the restaurant’s cleanliness, food quality, and service. This is especially important during the rainy season when maintaining hygiene can be more challenging.

By following these tips, you can select a restaurant that prioritizes cleanliness and hygiene, ensuring a safe and enjoyable dining experience.

Selecting Safe Food Items in the Rainy Season

Choosing the right food items during the rainy season is crucial for avoiding foodborne illnesses and ensuring overall health. Here are some tips to help you select safe food items during this time:

Freshly Cooked Foods

Always prioritize freshly cooked foods during the rainy season. Freshly prepared meals are less likely to harbor bacteria and other pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses. Hot, well-cooked dishes kill harmful microorganisms, making them safer to consume.

Avoid High-Risk Items

Certain foods are more susceptible to contamination during the rainy season:

• Leafy Greens: Leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and cabbage can easily get contaminated with dirt and bacteria. It’s best to avoid them or ensure they are thoroughly washed and cooked before consumption.
• Seafood: Fish and other seafood are high-risk items due to their perishable nature. Consuming seafood that isn’t fresh can lead to serious health issues. Avoid seafood during the rainy season unless you are certain of its freshness and it has been cooked thoroughly.

Opt for Fruits with Peels

Fruits with peels, such as bananas, oranges, and pineapples, are safer options as their thick skin protects the edible part from contamination. Always wash fruits thoroughly before peeling and consuming them.

Prioritize Hot, Well-Cooked Meals

During the rainy season, it’s essential to prioritize hot and well-cooked meals. Heat kills most pathogens, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses. Avoid raw or undercooked dishes like salads, sushi, and rare meats, as they can harbor harmful bacteria and parasites.

By following these guidelines, you can minimize the risk of contamination and enjoy safer, healthier meals during the rainy season. Always ensure that the food you consume is fresh, thoroughly cooked, and free from high-risk ingredients to maintain good health.

Tips to Follow When Buying Outside Food

• Buy any hot food when they are heated to a superhot level. Never eat when hot food is sold in a lukewarm condition.
• Cold food should be displayed and sold in refrigerated or cold cabinets. These cold feeds should be in cold conditions when you eat.
• Pre-made foods containing foods that rot quickly, like meat, eggs, fish and chicken, should be refrigerated appropriately, or if at room temperature, it should be no more than four hours.
• Do not buy foods which appear soggy, blanched and lack freshness.

Risky Foods to be Avoided

• Raw and improperly cooked meat
• Dairy products like custard, cheesecake etc.
• Eggs and egg products
• Cooked rice
• Prepared salads
• Prepared fruit salads
• Sea foods such as fish, prawns and shellfish.

Final Word

Foods are an essential part of living. With so much comfort and convenience being done to improve our lifestyle, eating outside food is also part of it. While it’s not taboo or harmful to do, be careful and mindful about this, especially during the monsoon season. Avoid foods that are easily contaminated, do not buy stale and soggy foods, check the conditions under which the food is stored, and check the expiration date on ready-to-buy foods. Eat food only in restaurants with considerable safe and hygiene levels, like clean tables, drinking water, and glasses served in clean vessels. Also, the surrounding ambience must be maintained well; not doing so will lead to infections and diseases like typhoid, diarrhoea and cholera. Just be watchful and gorge on your favourite foods in this rainy season.

References

• CDC. Food safety and eating out [Internet]. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023 [cited 2023 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/eatingout.html
• Food safety when eating out [Internet]. Gov.au. [cited 2023 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-safety-when-eating-out