How to Tell if a Restaurant is Hygienic and Offers Safe Food

Traveler’s diarrhea is the most prevalent travel-related illness that affects millions of travelers worldwide. Different sanitation standards are some of the causes of the illness with symptoms manifesting upon ingestion of contaminated food or water. If you’re traveling, here are things that you should look for to see if the place you intend to eat at is clean and offers safe dishes.

Sanitary Inspections and Certificates

Although it might sound insane, checking a restaurant’s health inspection certificate can save you a trip to the doctor’s. Sanitary inspections and certificates are usually public records that you can access online upon request. A search on the web can also yield copies of reports on inspections that were conducted. Here you can see the violations that were found and if these were rectified. If it is a serious violation, a dining place may be immediately shut down to protect public health. For example, vermin infestation is a serious violation that affects the sanitation of restaurants and its handling of food. Restaurants have many possible sources of food for pests that promote infestation whether it’s bread crumbs that fall on the floor or counter tops that have not been cleaned so ensuring that the place is free of pests is on top of the list.

Understandably, not all countries in the world will have reports on health inspections that were completed. In many cases, these are not public records. However, it is customary for their Department of Health to conduct routine checks to see if the establishment complies with health and safety protocols. Look for decals and stickers that indicate if a restaurant is a member of an association or has a stamp/seal of approval from the inspecting body. Inside the premises, you will also see their sanitary certificates or food safety training that managers completed. In the UK, restaurants display their hygiene rating on the window with a green sticker.

When Reports and Ratings Are Not Available

It’s not always possible to check health inspection records and you may not see hygiene ratings on walls. However, you can check around to see if the premises are clean, the floor is swept, or the servers are dressed neatly. See if the cutlery on the table is spotless. A popular way to test sanitation is to go to the toilets and see what it’s like in there. If it is dirty and no one even emptied an overflowing bin, then chances are high that they won’t bother with the kitchen as well.

In addition, talk to your waiter/waitress and ask their personal recommendations. If they say that they have tried a certain dish or named a personal favorite, then you know that they eat the food there. Servers who have no clue of the eatery’s dishes give the impression that you should not be dining there either. Also, look around if the interior looks well put together from the fresh flowers to the crisp table napkins. They are likely to indicate that the owner or management cares about the establishment including its cleanliness and reputation.

Consuming food and beverages that are contaminated can make you sick whether you are traveling or not. Checking a restaurant’s health credentials and visually inspecting the premises can help you decide if a dining place follows safety protocols.

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