Is There A Trick To Avoid Food Poisioning?

[Belle5]

You might want to look into a 'pro-biotic' such as Culterelle or many other types sold at health food stores. They help maintain the healthy bacteria in your system. These are similar to the cultures found in yogurt.

Thank you for posting this. My DH has a weakened immune system from medication he has been on for years. Because of this, not a month goes by that he doesn't have two or three stomach/intestinal type viruses (or at least symptoms similar to those viruses). It has been this way as long as I can remember. Maybe this item you have mentioned will help.

Thanks again for posting.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Sometimes people will eat too much and then overexert themselves and call it food poisioning because they felt sick.

I totally agree! Don't stay in the heat all day, don't overeat every meal, and don't keep pushing every minute, it's a recipe for disaster.

In addition, as everyone else has said, follow mom's advice and wash your hands before you eat and after you go to the bathroom. (ever been asked the color of the soap after returing from the bathroom in Prime Time? It's a sneaky trick you can try with kids, too!)

If you are susceptible, a probiotic like another poster mentioned is an awesome idea.

Bring candied ginger if you do feel nauseous. It's a big help.

I don't think there's a large chance of getting food poisoning in Disney, to be fair. (I think there is a far greater chance of getting food poisoning by storing food you bring into the parks- in lockers, fanny packs, etc. (places where it is difficult to keep foods at proper temperatures) than dining in restaurants.)
but using common sense and a little bit of prevention is always a good idea. Enjoy your vacations!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I just don't get this thread. I have NEVER gone somewhere worried about getting food poisoning. I mean I guess you can get it almost anywhere, what makes WDW different?

That's right. I have a better chance at getting sick at home because I am home about 340 days of the year.

I am one that DID get sick at Disney because of something I ate there, but that still doesn't make me worried about it. I figure, if I'm going to get sick, there is probably not much I can do about it. Except to say............if I think the fish tastes "fishy" , stop eating it immediately! (I just kept eating it thinking it must be MY taste buds or something )

 

[mickeysgal]

I don't think there's a large chance of getting food poisoning in Disney, to be fair.

I agree. Even though we have gotten sick that one time, that was years and years ago. The other times, my husband got sick we feel it was an allergy of his and not caused by Disney. We've had many happy trips since. I think if there was a rampant problem at Disney, we would have heard about it through the news and/or the local Health Dept. I've seen Disney many a time testing temperatures of foods. I'm sure they're on a strict routine for temperature testing to ensure the quality of the foods they're serving. Think about the thousands of people that visit those parks every day. I think they have food service under control - they're pros at it. I think they're probably in better shape than your local restaurant in town. Go, enjoy your trip, and take it slow. Rushing around in the heat will cause anyone's system to get thrown off kilter.

 

[GailT]

Amazingly, you can get sick not necessarily from the food itself, but from licking your fingers while eating, after walking around the parks all day, touching railings, door handles,etc., and not washing your hands before eating. We find the best way to avoid problems is to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you, and just before eating, clean your hands at the table. Better safe then sorry.

I second that, I will not go to Disney or for a matter of fact anywhere without my little bottle of purel in my purse or fannypack

 

[mitros]

Just one more thought. The WDW property is twice the size of Manhattan, and I believe that on any given day there can be at least 100,000 human beings on site, including CMs. When you consider this is the population of a large city, and in large cities, every day, people become ill from food, water, contamination, and germs in general, it is not suprising that some folks will become ill. But to worry yourself sick {no pun intended} about the situation, I feel, is a little much. Go, enjoy yourself, keep your hands clean, don't eat raw eggs, and stand clear of the family where each member is sneezing and hacking away and you should get through without a scratch.

 

[ufgator]

I know a group of people that went and all got very sick after eating at HDDR.

 

[goofie4goofy]

There are so many people from so many different cultures in WDW. There are some more things I woould never do - well not just at WDW but everywhere...but espically WDW.

- Never use the drinking fountains..not just because the Florida is reverse osmosis but I have seen the water fountaing being used for some pretty funky things...one time I saw a woman washing a baby's behind - I kid you not.

- Never tough the railings...there is everything from boogies to god knows what...when was the last time you saw someone ever cleaning them?

Just use common sense, you don't have to turn into a Howard Hughes to keep from getting sick. I still think that for the most part, the food is not the problem, but who handles it is.

I thought of this post earlier because a strange thing happended to me today. I made a bowl of oatmeal (quaker oats) and I took a spoonful and I felt something metallic and sharp in my mouth....it was a staple half stapled and half not - but it was a sturdier version of the standard office staples! Good thing I did not bite down hard or swallow it.

My DH bit into a hard palstic thing in his Vita Muffin 2 days ago!

It's a world gone MAD - LOL

 

[mitros]

Not exactly sure what it is that is wrong with reverse osmosis. {if that is what you are saying}

 

[threeboysmom]

There was just a warning about Dole salads in my area and food poisioning. Not too long ago a restaurant on LI was serving bad salads and lots of people got sick. When salads are pre washed and pre packaged, like I am sure WDw uses, there is a greater risk of bacteria.




Not just Dole but any of those packaged salads that say they are pre washed and triple washed. You still have to WASH this lettuce throughly!!!! I get grossed out when I see people just dump the bag into the bowl and add dressing . That's probally what most restaurants do. I read about a girl whose mother did this and the lettuce had e-coli and the girl was deathly ill and ended up on kidney dialysis .

OK, I have to admit - I am one of those people who have never thought to wash the "pre-washed" bagged salads... I thought it was already washed??? So when you say to WASH it thoroughly, do you mean just rinse it with water (and what good does that do??) or do you actually use soap and wash each piece thoroughly?? I eat salads every day so this subject of poisoning from lettuce has me perplexed....

 

[GIOny]

OK, I have to admit - I am one of those people who have never thought to wash the "pre-washed" bagged salads... I thought it was already washed??? So when you say to WASH it thoroughly, do you mean just rinse it with water (and what good does that do??) or do you actually use soap and wash each piece thoroughly?? I eat salads every day so this subject of poisoning from lettuce has me perplexed....

No, I'm not that nuts that I wash every piece with soap and water (you would need a whole lot of time on your hands lol) but what I do is take a large bowl (NOT the bowl I'm making the salad in) and put the lettuce in and fill the bowl with cold water. I swish it around then I drain in a colander and rinse it again in cold water. Believe it or not they say this can wash away alot of bacteria. It only takes a couple minutes and to me it well worth it, not to mention the cold water perks up the lettuce and when it's in the colander you can pick out the bad pieces of lettuce. Lettuce is mostly grown in the ground where there is the possibility of fecal matter which leads to the possibility of e coli. I love salads also and eat them almost everyday, they are good for you, but they are better for you if you just take the extra precautions. Sorry didin't mean to gross you out!!!

 

[poohguys]

I agree. Even though we have gotten sick that one time, that was years and years ago. The other times, my husband got sick we feel it was an allergy of his and not caused by Disney. We've had many happy trips since. I think if there was a rampant problem at Disney, we would have heard about it through the news and/or the local Health Dept. I've seen Disney many a time testing temperatures of foods. I'm sure they're on a strict routine for temperature testing to ensure the quality of the foods they're serving. Think about the thousands of people that visit those parks every day. I think they have food service under control - they're pros at it. I think they're probably in better shape than your local restaurant in town. Go, enjoy your trip, and take it slow. Rushing around in the heat will cause anyone's system to get thrown off kilter.

When we were at Boma I saw one of the Chefs testing the chicken with a meat thermometer. A few days before that we ate at Olivia's and my DS's chicken fingers were pretty pink inside. He had eaten a few bites, and thank goodness he did not get sick.

I ALWAYS was bagged salads... I think the lettuce taste funny when you eat it right out of the bag.

As far as one of the other posters was saying about coldcuts/hot dogs and listeria, you would not get listeria poisioning that quick it usually takes around 6 weeks before you become sick.

Wash your hands before you eat and remember to check your chicken before you eat it anywere just not at Disney I have had the same problem at resturants at home too and should have checked before I let my son take a bite.

 

[mickeysgal]

Problems with food can happen anywhere. We had eaten at a Rainforest Cafe once (NOT at Disney) and two of us who ordered a chicken dish were served chicken that was absolutely raw inside. Not just pink, RAW. Unbelievable. Luckily we caught it in time before anyone ate much of it. You really have to just exercise a bit of common sense when you're eating out anywhere. Always wash your hands and check for doneness of your food.

 

[jann1033]

OK, I have to admit - I am one of those people who have never thought to wash the "pre-washed" bagged salads... I thought it was already washed??? So when you say to WASH it thoroughly, do you mean just rinse it with water (and what good does that do??) or do you actually use soap and wash each piece thoroughly?? I eat salads every day so this subject of poisoning from lettuce has me perplexed....

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/poison.html

interestingly, the above web site does not mention salads as a major or minor source of any type of food poisioning so my guess is you are pretty safe eating them. I remember the green onion chi chi problem but that was evidently pretty rare and if i remember they were from imported onions which are more commonly grown with night soil than the us produce.

i have to say i question some of the e coli hype..mainly because our area has well water and is rural so farm animals abound yet most of the local produce /wells if properly capped are clean. wouldn't be the case if it so common in the soil to contaiminate all the surface veggies unless you fertilize with uncomposted manure( which would kill the plants most likely) it can contaminate wells I as have heard of some being comtaminated but it is not rampant as some of the lettuce scare posts might seem to imply. we also live in amish land and so horses are common on the streets and even thought their manure( horses', not amish) was getting nto the local water supply ( eww, they now are supposed to clean up the horse dooky but don't) i really never heard of anyone getting sick due to it and it was a big stink( true in both regards but no pun intended )so i'm sure it would have been plastered all over the papers if there was one case of it.

 

[LoveWDW]

OK, I have to admit - I am one of those people who have never thought to wash the "pre-washed" bagged salads... I thought it was already washed??? So when you say to WASH it thoroughly, do you mean just rinse it with water (and what good does that do??) or do you actually use soap and wash each piece thoroughly?? I eat salads every day so this subject of poisoning from lettuce has me perplexed....

Those prepackaged salads smell funny to me. I can tell if a restaurant is using them. But I always wash them when I use them at home. I am surprised when I watch the cooking channel and they just dump the salads into the bowl and comment it was prewashed. They also do the same for packaged pre-grated carrots, and I wonder just how clean those can be. Also, every year I hear on the Today show or a cooking show that mayo is dangerous so make salads without it, when I have heard for years that mayo helps preserve the food.

 

[Brygida]

You might want to look into a 'pro-biotic' such as Culterelle or many other types sold at health food stores. They help maintain the healthy bacteria in your system. These are similar to the cultures found in yogurt.

Culturelle is now widely available, you should find it in your local drugstore. The latest research (came out early this year in medical journals) recommends taking this while travelling and while on any antibiotic. It is a bit pricey (about $1/day) but worth the effort. I fed it even to my infant (mixed in with cereal) when he was on antibiotics. This can prevent the secondary infections you can get after being on antibiotics (like yeast infections, erythema, etc).

Also, if you already have food poisoning, the conventional wisdom on this has changed drastically, just this year. It used to be Pedialyte, Gatorade, and other things to restore your liquids, but the latest medical journals point to just the opposite. It is best to try and feed (especially babies) binding foods (like bananas, rice, organic active culture yogurts like Stoneyfield)... and keep trying till they hold it down. If your doctor is still telling you the former, challenge her/him. This has prevented deaths in severely dehydrated infants.

 

[OKW Lover]

So what are the chances I'll get food poisioning on my first WDW trip?

How do I know what places to avoid?


Help???? Really don't want to have to deal with this at all if possible.

Use the same precautions you use in your normal life and you'll be fine at WDW.

 

[goofie4goofy]

Not exactly sure what it is that is wrong with reverse osmosis. {if that is what you are saying}

There's nothing "wrong" with it, but it does taste disgusting. There are some that can tolerate it and some that can't. Most Fla residents don't drink the tap water...if you haven't noticed it has a sulfury swampy smell to it. I don't even brush my teeth with it - but use bottled water for that.

I don't drink Ny tap water either which has the best taste (according to blind taste tests against pricey bottled waters) We have water delivered and use it for cooking and drinking. So if water "smells" I will not drink it...unless I am on a desert island. If a food item smelled that bad I would not eat it...so why would I drink it??

 

[jann1033]

the diffference could be if a food smelled bad it could be spoiled and smelly water could just be due to minerals that wouldn't hurt you. our water is very hard and lots of minerals so i don't drink it, i don't like the taste but it wouldn't hurt me to drink it as lots do. we actually had a system that used reverse osmosis and it tasted better.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Only sure fire, 100% way I know....Don't eat.