Can I safely eat fresh fruit and veggies in Mexico?

The beautiful, pictured box of organic bounty cost under $20 U.S. I've never seen beets this big! The farm-fresh veggies include chard, kale, mint, rosemary, cauliflower, mini cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, celery, beets, squash, chives, tomatoes and cilantro. I eat the produce safely by quickly washing it with an anti-bacterial rinse. (Read on for more tips.) When I cross into the US, I'm always shocked by the high prices of produce—especially organic options!

I’m spoiled by the bountiful and diverse ecosystems of Baja. I can’t get enough local veggies and fruit! It’s amazing to shop seasonally, direct from the farmers. Processed food is more expensive here in Baja versus the United States. I've experienced significant health benefits from eating more fresh, whole foods.

Like everything in life, there are pros and cons. Lack of regulations in Mexico means that it’s wise to safeguard yourself instead of expecting the system to do it for you. Like cooking my own food so that I’m fully aware of the ingredients, I now appreciate the benefits of sanitizing my own fresh produce. The US has strict agricultural health regulations. Veggies and fruit must be washed and re-washed prior to distribution. It's easy to assume everything is safe, but the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year in the U.S., 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses. Organic growers stateside endure far more stringent regulations than the big companies—which have even been known to spray wheat and corn with toxic pesticides before and after harvest, exposing people to glyphosate-a chemical which the World Health Organization has directly linked to cancer.

Drink & Dine Know-How: What to eat & ways to clean for food safety

Enjoy the culinary delights of Baja!

By following the guidelines, below, I haven’t had any food-related issues in four-and-a-half years of Mexican residency:

1. Ensure water & ice come from purified sources

2. Trust your sense of smell

3. Observe cleanliness of hands, fingernails, & clothing. Remember: artificial nails are more likely to trap harmful bacteria.

4. Avoid temperature danger zones i.e. Minimum temperatures for seafood: Hot: 145 °F (62.8 °C); Storage 40 °F (4 °C)

5. Watch for potential cross-contamination. i.e. Are separate utensils used for fish as for produce or for mayonnaise?

6. Wash fresh produce with an anti-bacterial rinse, like Microdyn. These are readily available in all grocery stores.

A blog post shared by governmental departments of Mexico City identifies the most common irritants as:

• “Young” dried cheeses, stored at room temperature. Cotija most commonly, and queso fresco or queso blanco are the youngest and for people from other countries, most “alien” of cheeses – meaning that they may contain micro-organisms that consumers from other countries are not prepared for.

• Sour creams and some heavy creams. As such, the Mexican kitchen doesn’t include anything like the fakey chemical sour creams available in the USA. Sour creams sometimes served on enchiladas suizas will, to non-Mexican noses, actually smell distinctly unappetizing.

• Crema – from squirt bottles, usually drizzled, over fried foods, but served seemingly innocuous, over many foods. Avoid it. “Sin crema, por favor.“

• Salsas – Salsas that sit out, un-refrigerated, are far and away the most common cause of food poisoning across all the people of Mexico City. So try to eat in places serving lots and lots of salsa, rather than those where empty tables are just storing salsas.

• Salads and fruit. Lots of international visitors swear that this is the source of all their ailments: the tap water used to wash fruits and vegetables. Use the lime that comes with your salad as it will actually kill some bacteria. Peeled fruits are generally preferable to those handled a lot, or those with edible skins.

• Badly prepared meats – or meats that appear to have been left out or simply forgotten on some side table for too long.

• Deep fried tacos – tacos dorados, quesadillas, and flautas cooked hours in advance. Cooking oil used for frying can simply permit bacteria to reproduce. This sometimes happens with tacos dorados prepared in the morning for a big lunch special that starts at 2 PM. If you’re going to eat deep fried anything, be sure that you are able to watch it being fried.

More information:

https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx/e/food-basics/food-poisoning-prevention-remedies/