While at the airport, make sure to refrain from buying food and drinking carelessly. Because there are several types of menus that should not be consumed according to food safety experts.
The airport is now not only a stopover waiting for flight schedules, but also culinary tourist attractions. Many food and beverage tenants are present at the airport to pamper the tastes of passengers, especially at the airport whose scale is large.
However, try not to get crazy buying anything in sight. Food safety experts reminded health risks that lurk from any consumption of any food at the airport.
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This happens mainly because of the incorrect food handling procedure. Expert Francine Shaw said, “When the food arrives at the airport service area, food must be stored, diluted, and prepared with a tight compliance with the food safety protocol.”
Quote Huff post (3/13/2025), here are 5 foods and drinks that should be avoided at the airport according to food safety experts:
1. Drinking Fountain
Drinking water or drinking fountain is a free facility at many airports. Passengers can drink water directly from a special engine that destroys this water. You can also recharge the drinks in the bottle.
However, food safety experts and professors at the University of Northeastern, Darin Detwiler said this machine was at risk of becoming a prolonged place to breed dangerous bacteria. The outer appearance of a clean drinking fountain does not guarantee, because it can be bacteria and mushrooms gather on the inside, such as in the tap channel.
A sweet and damp environment in Drinking Fountain can trigger the growth of E. coli, salmonella, and even Legionella. This bacterium can cause severe pneumonia called Legionnaires.
He recommended buying a bottled drink whose seal was tightly closed. Coffee or hot tea is also a good choice because boiling water minimizes the risk of bacteria.
2. Sandwich and salad ready to eat
 Photo: Getty Images/Istockphoto/Rosshelen |
Many passengers who have not had time to eat will choose to eat sandwich or practical packaging salad. Detwiler reminded to be careful with this type of food because it is often placed for a long time in a place where the temperature is unstable, such as on a cooling rack without a door.
These conditions can increase the risk of breeding bacteria. “I have often seen this at the minimarket in the airport,” Detwiler said.
Ellen Shumaker from North Carolina State University said that the ready -to -eat salad should not be chosen because fresh food is very risky to overcome dangerous bacteria if stored at room temperature for more than 4 hours.
Shaw recommends choosing safe snacks, such as nuts, granola bars, or closed dried fruit. Even better if you bring your own snack.
3. Cut fruit
Another food that is also often bought at the airport is a cut. Usually packaged in clear plastic cups so it is called the Fruit Cups.
The consumption turned out to be at risk for health. “After the fruit is sliced, the protective skin is peeled off, so it is exposed to bacteria due to handling, processing, and storage,” Detwiler explained. If the fruit is not stored at the right temperature, it can be a place to multiply listeria bacteria. E. coli, to salmonella.
Better to choose fresh fruit that still has skin. “Apples that have not been cut, oranges that have not been peeled, or bananas that are wrapped naturally, are unlikely to be contaminated,” said Shaw.
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