Is it safe to drink any drink from the bars and restaurants?

[amangoaday]

I have heard so many good things about eating and drinking in Mexico, I just want to know if anyone had any food/drink poisoning experiences? Don't you have to drink their local water if they're using ice or water in the drinks/non cooked food? I am going to be with Carnival cruise this coming Sunday and will be arriving in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas next week.

[househunter]

All of the tourist restaurants and many of the local ones use purifed water and ice. You do know that millions of people visit Mexico on land based vacations every day, right? They eat and drink while on vacation. Go and enjoy! Just avoid the street stands.

[quincytoo]

My only food poisoning experience was at a 5 star $400 a night hotel in Montreal......

In Puerto Vallarta at the hotels and condos we have been at, I drink the water from the taps. eat at sooo many restaurants and also eat at the taco stands that I know are safe and have a good reputation.

[maxamuus]

Just drink beer.

[mikenlynn]

Originally Posted by maxamuus

Just drink beer.

What he said.....

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by househunter

All of the tourist restaurants and many of the local ones use purifed water and ice. You do know that millions of people visit Mexico on land based vacations every day, right?

No, not all tourist restaurants and many local ones use purified water and ice. There's no way to verify such a statement. My advice is to drink only bottled beverages - no tap water and no ice from bars and restaurants (buy your own bagged ice if you want and use that if appropriate).

[quincytoo]

Originally Posted by gomexico

No, not all tourist restaurants and many local ones use purified water and ice. There's no way to verify such a statement. My advice is to drink only bottled beverages - no tap water and no ice from bars and restaurants (buy your own bagged ice if you want and use that if appropriate).

You really need to change your name to don'tgomexico ...

Maybe it is different in Aucpulco but if *I* can safely drink the tap water in PV and Nuevo then anyone can

All the tourist's and all the *local* restaurants that I know here in PV, and I am sure, Cabo DO use purified water and ice.....There is no way YOU can verify that they don't......., word gets around and none of the tourist or local restaurants want that kind of bad PR.....

I see the trucks delivering ice to the hotels and restuarants....any ice that has a hole in the middle of it is purified.....

We do drink a lot of bottled water all places that we go but can say that we have been drinking PV tap water for over 5 years now....

We were just in Disneyland and folks, the water there tasted horrible

[househunter]

Originally Posted by gomexico

No, not all tourist restaurants and many local ones use purified water and ice. There's no way to verify such a statement. My advice is to drink only bottled beverages - no tap water and no ice from bars and restaurants (buy your own bagged ice if you want and use that if appropriate).

That is not correct for Cabo either. You can easily tell what purified ice looks like, uniform, usually round pieces and I drink the tap water at most resorts that i have stayed at and at many restaurants. Do you really think that tourists don't drink mixed drinks and margaritas in Mexico?

[dclark]

You just never know...
Ten years ago, a table mate ate and drank at Cabo Wabo and got horrible food poisoning. I remember him talking about the shrimp tacos and some other things, then he disappeared for a day, when I saw him, his skin was white, he looked horrible.
The ironic thing was that he was a parasitolgist, his occupation was looking into salmon for infections and parasites as they came across the fish ladders. If anyone should have known, it was him.
In Mazatalan, we ate at Victors with Randi after horse back riding. SHe told us the place was clean and added "If anyone got sick here, you would read about it on cruise critic!"
I am nervous about food/drink in Mexico, but I do drink bottled beer there, have no problems with the drinks at Paradise beach in Cozumel, and the shrimp at Victors are just incredible, better than the lobster on the ship.

[5waldos]

Don't use ice (I did get a touch of the whatever), don't drink the water, and steer clear of fresh salads and fruit with peels. And I have traveled extensively- and lived in 3rd world countries for years. You may be fine, you may not be. Beer is great, other drinks without ice. simple basic rule. But do eat and do drink- half the fun of travel is the food!

[bzy1]

Ok, first, please go to your local grocery store in the United States and Canada and tell me where many of your fruits and vegetables come from.......... yes....Mexico! As well, in Mexico, many of our fruits and vegetables are imported from the U.S. (apples, grapes strawberries, asperagus, some lettuce and spinach depending on the season, etc.)
Vallarta's public water often

In Vallarta, 99% of all, yes, even those little taco stands have purified ice. Why, no one could keep up with the volume of ice needed so every has it delivered and it is dirt cheap. A 25 kilo bag in around 65 cents US.
Same with purified water. I buy a 5 gallon garrafon for under $2.00 US.

Most people get sick from these things (but with that said, the vast majority NEVER get sick):

• too much alcohol- sun and dehydration

• too much rich food and an abundance of change in their diet, like excessive fruit.

• Limes (margaritas) are a natural diuretic- so again, NOT drinking enough water!

and one of the major reasons...not washing their hands before eating or drinking.

[dclark]

Originally Posted by bzy1

Most people get sick from these things (but with that said, the vast majority NEVER get sick):

• too much alcohol- sun and dehydration

• too much rich food and an abundance of change in their diet, like excessive fruit.

• Limes (margaritas) are a natural diuretic- so again, NOT drinking enough water!

and one of the major reasons...not washing their hands before eating or drinking.

Too much alcohol or too much fruit (?) will not cause intense vomiting or diarhea that goes on for days. As for imported fruit into the states, there has been many, many incidents of produce being contaminated and it was recalled. I am not sure that Mexico would do the same in country for their own citizens.People love to blame food poisoning on anything but food poisoning. My brother in law got it bad in a resort in Mexico and he didn't drink a single glass of alcohol. My family got food poisoning on RCL 22 years ago and RCL denied it. We only had two port stops in the week and my sis only ate on board. RCL said it was the flu, she got right off the ship went to ER in Miami and the blood test found listeria bacteria.I can say that as a fomer adjuster, may people mistake food poisoning for the flu, it is more common that people realize.
As for pure ice, well... we were in a cab at a light in Mazatlan in front of a resterant and saw a van that had "Puro Llelo" (Pure Ice) on the side. A guy open the back, pulled out a large block of ice which slid into the GUTTER! He drag it into the resterant! Yes, it was dragged through a gutter and along the sidewalk, but at least it was "Pure Ice"!
In the US, we have agencies that monitor the safety of food during its production and do semi annual inspections of restarants. If mexico doesn't do that, then how can you say that eating there is as safe as eating in the states?

[cb at sea]

It's not the fruits or veggies THEMSELVES that are the culprit of illness---it's the WATER that they are "washed" in.....that is not always clean and if the fruits and veggies (raw, not cooked) are ingested, then you stand a chance of Montezuma's Revenge!!! That's why you don't drink the water, use ice or eat raw stuff!!!!!!

[SDPadreFan]

So I guess that everyone should just stay at home and hide in their closet. But for me, I'll continue to cruise the world and spend my annual week at my timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, eating local food and enjoying an adult beverage or three while I'm at it. Bunch of germ-a-phobes. You are your own worst enemy. You insist on purified/sterilized everything to the point where your own immune system has been effectively neutered. The smallest little bug that wouldn't hurt most of the worlds population has you running for the emergency room.

So just go hide in your closet. I'll continue to enjoy everything the world's cultures have to offer.

[quincytoo]

Originally Posted by SDPadreFan

So I guess that everyone should just stay at home and hide in their closet. But for me, I'll continue to cruise the world and spend my annual week at my timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, eating local food and enjoying an adult beverage or three while I'm at it. Bunch of germ-a-phobes. You are your own worst enemy. You insist on purified/sterilized everything to the point where your own immune system has been effectively neutered. The smallest little bug that wouldn't hurt most of the worlds population has you running for the emergency room.

So just go hide in your closet. I'll continue to enjoy everything the world's cultures have to offer.

I so hear you...... besides for all those that are too afraid to eat and drink means more for us

Did you watch House last Monday it was about a man who grew up in a stupid clean sterile house with germaphobe parents..wasn't allowed to play in the sandbox or playgrounds...turns out his entire system was shutting down because his immune system couldn't handle daily dirt....House saved his life by making him drink a glass of water with worms in it. I know it is only a TV show but reading this thread made me think of it.

I have friends living here who were born and raised in Mexico, when their Mexican family comes to vist here on Vancouver Island, they refuse to drink our water, because they have gotten sick from it.

I always wonder about the differant bacteria's in water and food and if that is why people think they are sick but really if is their bodies getting used to the bacteris??

[dclark]

Originally Posted by SDPadreFan

So I guess that everyone should just stay at home and hide in their closet. But for me, I'll continue to cruise the world and spend my annual week at my timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, eating local food and enjoying an adult beverage or three while I'm at it. Bunch of germ-a-phobes. You are your own worst enemy. You insist on purified/sterilized everything to the point where your own immune system has been effectively neutered. The smallest little bug that wouldn't hurt most of the worlds population has you running for the emergency room.

So just go hide in your closet. I'll continue to enjoy everything the world's cultures have to offer.

At best, your attitude is ignorant, at worst it is dangerous. From the CDC:
" To better quantify the impact of foodborne diseases on health in the United States, we compiled and analyzed information from multiple surveillance systems and other sources. We estimate that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Known pathogens account for an estimated 14 million illnesses, 60,000 hospitalizations, and 1,800 deaths. Three pathogens, Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma, are responsible for 1,500 deaths each year, more than 75% of those caused by known pathogens, while unknown agents account for the remaining 62 million illnesses, 265,000 hospitalizations, and 3,200 deaths. Overall, foodborne diseases appear to cause more illnesses but fewer deaths than previously estimated."
And, this is just in the U.S, a country that actually makes an effort to reduce foodborne disease. It will be worse in Mexico. In the U.S. we have seen fatalities from just merely eating spinach or hamburgers (ecoli). Did you know that more U.S. soldiers died from food poisoning than from battle in the Spanish American war? Last year in Mexico, I saw an outdoor stand with a plate of mayonaise stewing in the sun, nurturing listeria bacteria. Be my guest, help yourself to it and report back how you feel.

[SDPadreFan]

Originally Posted by dclark

At best, your attitude is ignorant, at worst it is dangerous. From the CDC:
" To better quantify the impact of foodborne diseases on health in the United States, we compiled and analyzed information from multiple surveillance systems and other sources. We estimate that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Known pathogens account for an estimated 14 million illnesses, 60,000 hospitalizations, and 1,800 deaths. Three pathogens, Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma, are responsible for 1,500 deaths each year, more than 75% of those caused by known pathogens, while unknown agents account for the remaining 62 million illnesses, 265,000 hospitalizations, and 3,200 deaths. Overall, foodborne diseases appear to cause more illnesses but fewer deaths than previously estimated."


And, this is just in the U.S, a country that actually makes an effort to reduce foodborne disease. It will be worse in Mexico. In the U.S. we have seen fatalities from just merely eating spinach or hamburgers (ecoli). Did you know that more U.S. soldiers died from food poisoning than from battle in the Spanish American war? Last year in Mexico, I saw an outdoor stand with a plate of mayonaise stewing in the sun, nurturing listeria bacteria. Be my guest, help yourself to it and report back how you feel.

Interesting selection of facts - "we estimate ...", "known pathogens account for an estimated... 1800 deaths", "unknown agents account for ... 3200 deaths".

Lets see, in the U.S., we have about 30,000 deaths each year from the seasonal flu. Over 35,000 deaths due to drunk drivers, and I don't know how many deaths due to smoking, alcoholism and obesity. Identified deaths estimated as due to a known pathogen, 1,800. I think I'll take my chances with that cheeseburger.

Would that mayonnaise be the same thing you can find at any U.S. park/lake/beach/backyard stewing in the exact same sun. Perhaps we have a different sun. The only thing that that proves is the ability of any population to be stupid. Certainly not restricted to the country of Mexico.

I did love the comparison to the Spanish American War. That's certainly timely information.

[DONNAKG]

Hi-- I got deathly ill from food poisoning at the all -you -can -eat
Seafood buffet at the Rio in Vegas from the oysters on the half shell!!!

hum,,,,,,,, should have eaten at the local taco stand in MX.

I love these boards,, wow ,, Brutal!!!
anyway we sail in 7 days --- to mexican riviera, I know I will stear clear
of any liquid that is NOT considered BEER !!!LOL
Donna

[dclark]

Originally Posted by DONNAKG

Hi-- I got deathly ill from food poisoning at the all -you -can -eat
Seafood buffet at the Rio in Vegas from the oysters on the half shell!!!

hum,,,,,,,, should have eaten at the local taco stand in MX.

L
Donna

The buffet had a sign posted that they serve shellfish which can have bacteria in them. I don't remember the exact wording, but they do post it. Shellfish is inherently a germ prone food, especially when raw.
Mexico still has many problems with its food system:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/arti...icle_14460.cfm
Want to eat chicken that has a high level ecoli because it has spent time in a fecal soup? Go to Mexico!
http://www.fao.org/docrep/MEETING/004/Y2122E.HTM
Check out the number of people whoi have gotten cholera/hepatitis A- it is huge! Looking at the number of people who get ill there each year (about 7 million!) it is really hard to argue that they have a built in immunity to food borne illnesses.
Chart I. Reported Cases of Potentially Foodborne Diseases Diagnosis 1998 1999 Cholera 71 9 Typhoid Fever 11,546 8,893 Intestinal Amoebiasis 1,613,215 1,516,845 Giardiasis 78,475 63,056 Intestinal and wrongly defined infections 5,023,427 4,862,618 Other protozoan intestinal infections 109,876 124,303 Paratyphoid and other Salmonellosis 215,155 181,239 Bacterial food poisoning 35,081 42,661 Shigellosis 45,372 39,029 Taeniasis 3,061 3,195 Brucellosis 3,550 2,719 Cysticercosis 1,061 920 Viral hepatitis A 18,695 19,199 Total 7,158,585 6,864,686 Source: Single system of information for epidemiological surveillance, 2000, 2001, Secretary of Health

[bzy1]

Gee I sure seem to remember quite a few tainted products containing salmonella and e.coli that came from the United States and Canada that had national to worls wide recalls. Spinach, peanut butter, hamburger, ice cream, Maple Leaf products, dog food.....
Maybe you'd like to check just the list from October and November of food recalls from the United States this year?
http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/default.htm


BTW: Puerto Vallarta water system rivals many in the U.S. and has been completely potable for over 10 years. Here is a link to Seapal, and while it is in Spanish you can use a web translator and get the idea and to see we are not running water from the river or the ditch on the side of the road.
http://www.seapal.gob.mx/home.asp


I really wonder why people who think Mexico and the port cities that they are going to be visiting are so dirty, low-class, third-world, germ and bacteria infested places that they even consider coming here? I guess I get a little tired of people who have never been here or maybe spent less less than 24 hours are all of a sudden experts and spread paranoia, rumors and poor information.

You CAN get food poisoning ANYWHERE.

You can get E.COli, salmonella or other bacteria anywhere.

You can go to the bathroom, wash your hands, open the door that has fecal matter on it from the 10 people before you who did NOT wash their hands and you ingest it. It's NOT the food in this case but the poop you ate and didn't know it.

But then again, I guess no one has ever gotten a case of food poisoning, diarrhea or vomiting due to something they ate in their home town. Really?