• U-M
  • //
  • LSA
  • //
  • Departments and Units
  • //
  • Majors and Minors
  • //
  • LSA Course Guide
  • //
  • LSA Gateway

for

  • U-M
  • LSA
  • Departments and Units
  • Majors and Minors
  • LSA Course Guide
  • LSA Gateway
  • Support LSA
  • Course Guide

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

previous | next
Skip to Content
LSA Travel
  • Students
    • Register LSA Travel
    • Pre-Departure Planning
    • Health Insurance
    • Orientations
    • Travel Destination Designations
    • LSA Policy Criteria
    • Health & Safety Forms
    • FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
  • Department Admins
    • Inform LSA Travel of Student Travelers
    • LSA Policy Criteria
    • Travel Registration Information
    • FAQ
  • Program Leaders
    • Faculty/Staff on UM Business
    • Register Travel
    • Group Travel
    • Key Terminology
    • FAQ
  • Emergency Information
    • Report an Incident

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

previous | next

Food Safety and Allergies

  1. Students
  2. Pre-Departure Planning
  3. Food Safety and Allergies
  1. ...
  2. Food Safety and Allergies
    1. Students
    2. Pre-Departure Planning
  1. [X] close
  1. Students
  2. Register LSA Travel
  3. Pre-Departure Planning
    1. COVID-19
    2. Immunizations
    3. Medications
    4. Mental Health
    5. Food Safety and Allergies
    6. Housing
    7. Driving and Transporation
    8. Avoiding Crime
    9. Traveling with Technology
    10. Solo Travel
    11. Pre-Departure Checklist
    12. Travel Health Prep Guide
    13. Online Travel Resources
    14. Passports
  4. Health Insurance
  5. Orientations
  6. Emergencies Abroad
  7. Travel Destination Designations
  8. LSA Policy Criteria
  9. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
  10. Health & Safety Forms

Food Safety and Allergies

  1. Students
  2. Register LSA Travel
  3. Pre-Departure Planning
    1. COVID-19
    2. Immunizations
    3. Medications
    4. Mental Health
    5. Food Safety and Allergies
    6. Housing
    7. Driving and Transporation
    8. Avoiding Crime
    9. Traveling with Technology
    10. Solo Travel
    11. Pre-Departure Checklist
    12. Travel Health Prep Guide
    13. Online Travel Resources
    14. Passports
  4. Health Insurance
  5. Orientations
  6. Emergencies Abroad
  7. Travel Destination Designations
  8. LSA Policy Criteria
  9. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
  10. Health & Safety Forms

Below are a few tips to guide students in making responsible and safe choices when eating and drinking abroad. 

Bring over-the-counter medications for travelers' diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control offer an informative article on travelers’ diarrhea, with discussion of its causes, symptoms, and preventive measures.

Students should research to see if foods they are allergic to are commonly used in their host culture, such as peanuts in Senegal and cooking with peanut oil in China. Know how to convey allergies to a faculty leader, on-site staff, cooks in restaurants, and anyone serving food in the local language. It is a good practice to have allergies written on a card in the local language that can be given to the person cooking. The Frommers website has good information on how best to communicate about allergies.

Students with celiac disease or gluten intolerance should research how gluten-free friendly their destination is. Students carrying an EpiPen or insulin should inform on-site partners.

Food, water, and restaurant cleanliness

  • Avoid raw and undercooked meat and seafood.  
  • Avoid raw vegetables in markets. This food is exposed to the elements, which includes dust, bugs, and people sneezing. Raw vegetables may have been grown with chemical pesticides and cleaned in contaminated water. Food that is boiled or fried is less likely to have germs. If you purchase vegetables, take them home to wash with boiled, clean water rather than eating them unwashed at the market. 
  • Avoid pre-cut fruit or fruit without a rind. Peel the fruit and wash raw vegetables in non-contaminated water. It’s not always clear what pesticides other countries use on their agricultural products. 
  • Avoid ice or water from a tap. Ice is often made from tap water, so it’s best avoided. 
  • When buying bottled water, make sure the seal has not been broken. Alternatively, boil your own water, cool the water down, and carry it along when going out. Or drink water that has been boiled, such as tea.

Street food

In general, avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors and other establishments where unhygienic conditions could be present. Students should be extra careful if they are only going to be in a location for a short-term program, since their stomach will not have time to adjust.  

Students compelled to eat at street vendors should ask their knowledgeable friends and on-site staff for advice first.

Become a veteran of eating street food with people who know which are the best stalls. Go where the locals go. If there’s a long line, it’s less likely that many diners get sick there. The food is probably better anyway.

More Resources

Find more resources on food and allergies at Online Travel Resources, under "Food & Diet."

ABOUT LSA TRAVEL

Suite 217, Weiser Hall
500 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

 

Sitemap

734.763.1798

LSA - College of Literature, Science, and The Arts - University of Michigan
  • Information For
  • Prospective Students
  • Current Students
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Alumni and Friends
  • More about LSA
  • About LSA
  • How Do I Apply?
  • LSA Opportunity Hub
  • News
  • LSA Magazine
  • Give
  • Maps
  • Student Resources
  • Courses
  • Academic Advising
  • Majors and Minors
  • Departments and Units
  • Global Studies
  • LSA Opportunity Hub
  • Connect
  • Social Media
  • Update Contact Info
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Report Feedback
© 2023 Regents of the University of Michigan