Food Safety Tips While in Transit

Hours of travel can mean any number of meals, whether on a plane, in a car or on a packed bus between two U.S. cities. When in transit, there are a few ways to ensure a clean and bacteria-free eating experience so you don’t risk sharing germs with or picking up germs from others.

Keep an eye on the time. It’s wise to stock up on snacks in the airport or go one step further and make a few sandwiches at home to snack on during the plane ride, but if you choose ingredients like yogurt or anything that has mayonnaise, don’t leave it uneaten for more than four hours as an outside-the-refrigerator environment can lead to bacteria growth.

Pack the right food. With the above tip in mind, consider packing foods that can last a long time without going bad. These may include snack bars, nuts (such as almonds), dried fruit or crackers.

Clean the tray table. Studies have shown a plane’s dirtiest location isn’t the handle on the bathroom door or the toilet itself, but it’s the tray table that harbors the most bacteria. Consider wetting a tissue with a few drops of hand sanitizer and wiping down the table before mealtime. Use a napkin to pull the table down and to stow it after eating.

Avoid airport water fountains. When it comes to the filthiest place in an airport, water fountains are near the top of the list. Instead of kneeling down to drink from these havens of bacteria, purchase a bottle of water at an airport shop or bring a reusable water bottle and fill it up at bottle-filling stations if the airport has them.