Fruits and Veges OK??
 

I haven't been to Mexico for many years but remember back then we had to beware of eating fruits and vegetables or be willing to risk "Montezuma's Revenge". Is this still the case? I really don't want to get sick but I like to try great local food. Any other advice about foods to avoid or to enjoy? We'll be in Cabo for a week and will take a day trip to La Paz. A part of me would like to stop along the way and eat at some "local" cafes.

Thanks for the advice.

Bob

I eat fruits & Vegetables with no ill effects throughout Mexico. I do soak in Dyro the fruits, Vegetables, Lettuce etc that I use at my private home.

Dyro? What is it?---some kind of vegetable wash?

Some people seem to be able to tolerate the bacteria in Mexican produce, but not me! I would recommend not eating anything that hasn't been peeled.

I skip salads and raw vegetables, only eat veggies cooked. But I do eat salsa. I eat fruits that can be peeled (melons, papaya, pineapple, etc.) but not strawberries. For example. I drink bottled water, but do have fresh fruit juice.

Cabo and La Paz have great fresh local foods, especially seafood. You can still try plenty of local dishes without concern (and without eating raw vegetables).

I've gotten mildly sick elsewhere in Mexico, but had good luck in both places one trip each to Cabo and a different time to La Paz. No problems but I am careful.

Many, many of the veggies one finds in the local supermarket are grown in Mexico. Is one to think that simply importing them to the good ol' USA makes them safe? I think you WASH them and enjoy them.

daleb85, I think you're confused about the source of the bacteria which is the water that the fruits and vegetables are washed in.

No, I would not eat fresh, uncooked, unpeeled fruits and vegetables unless I was guaranteed that they were washed in purified water. I've been to Mexico many times and never gotten sick.

It's not the water lettuce is washed in, it's the soil it is grown in... what's in THAT water.

Produce being imported to the U.S. may well have been grown under different conditions than what you will find at an open air market in Mexico, for example.

There's a good reason you see big displays of bio-soak products in the produce section of all Mexican grocery stores.
:-)

I think you're mistaken, suze. I don't buy Mexican produce, but I've always been warned about eating salads in restaurants. The danger comes from washing the vegetables, and tap water is the main culprit. After all, don't you think the produce gets the soil washed off of it?

Nope sorry I believe I could be correct, depending the circumstance. What I'm saying is IF ground water is contaminated what is INSIDE the vegetable or fruit is contaminated. And why things grown on trees are considered generally safer than what grows in the ground (carrots, lettuce, strawberries potentially more problematic).

Seriously, IF this was not an issue beyond washing the exterior, WHY does every grocery store have a big display of the bio-soak like people have mentioned and is commonly used by locals and visitors both.

I'm not familiar with bio-soak. But I would have a hard time believing that it extracts contaminants from the interior of the food. More likely, it's what people wash their fruits and veggies with to remove exterior dirt and to avoid contaminants from tap water.

I'm no botanist, but I don't think bacteria can be absorbed INTO produce from the soil. (That's what you're saying, right?) Even you have said the danger is with produce that isn't peeled. If that's the case, then the interior must be okay. Right?

And why do the restaurants in tourist regions bother to use purified water to wash their vegetables if the problem goes beyond the exterior and the water it's washed with?

You win. Have a salad! Have some carrot juice!! Let me know how things work out ;-)

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but I've eaten many, many salads in Mexico--again, only when assured that it's washed in purified water--and never gotten sick.

No I wasn't being sarcastic. I also am certainly no scientist. But I have been sick quite a few times from food in Mexico, so I err on the side of caution.

What I attempted to explain is the way it was explained to me. That vegetables could be contaminated by contaminated ground water, but you're correct that an exterior soaking product would not rememdy that situation.

The soak I mention I see in every grocery store. I assume it's similar to when people do a soak with a few drops of bleach. So does that purify the fruits and veggies or the water they are being soaked in... now I am not sure.

Thanks for clarifying. :) I do think it's for the water, though.

Not to be any more crude than necessary but it's not the soil or the water that is the problem. In Mexico it is every common practice to fertilize plants especially veggies with all available animal waste INCLUDING Human. That's where the real danger commons from. The various bio soaks solve this problem. If you eat in most Tourist areas in Mexico you should not have a problem. People get sick never having eaten a salad or a piece of fruit. Others such of myself who eat at every taco cart, wayside café & beach resturant for 23 years traveling the width/breath of Mexico never get sick.
I recently spent 3 weeks in Mexico eating salads almost every day both at home & out. I always use a "cleaner" at home. I eat tomatoes with every meal but always soak for at least 15 minutes.

Somewhat of an aside, but the times I have gotten sick on vacation in Mexico, the best I would trace it, was not from fruits or vegetables, rather bad food in restaurants.

Wow - Never thought I'd get such a wealth of responses! Most confusing! Guess I'll just bring some Hamburger Helper with me. (Seriously, thanks for the advice. We'll be careful about eating fresh fruits but try not to be totally paranoid.)

Bob,
I have a different question for you, which I have posted online, but have not seen any responses yet. You mentioned that you were going from Cabo to La Paz. We are planning the same, but are not sure how we want to get from Cabo to La Paz. We have considered rental car, bus service, personal driver. The rental car provides the most freedom, but had heard a lot of concerns regarding if you get in an accident or get pulled over by the police. I also wasn't sure about the reliability of the cars down there. I know one time I rented a car in Mexico, it broke down after 20 miles. Thanks for our input.
Maureen

urlabspass~ Head on over to the Trip Advisor Cabo forum. There's loads of posters there who will answer your question. Only a few people here on Fodor's expert on the Baja.

Maureen,
I've actually done a lot of research on rental cars in Cabo.
We definately want to have a car for the freedom it allows. There are several ways to go as far as the insurance is concerned. Many VISA holders have some coverage but you will still want to purchase 3rd party coverage in Mexico. The important thing if you want to use VISA coverage is to DECLINE the Collision Damage Vaiver and Loss Damage Waiver sections of the Mexican Insurance. If you want more information, call VISA. All this being said, we decided to rent from a local guy -- Dominic. There is another competing local car rental called Turimaz. Both meet you at the airport, provide ALL insurance and are competitively priced.
Dominic's number(toll free) is 949-338-8075. (He's quite a character!) Turimaz is 866-432-2902.
Good luck and btw Suze is right. Trip advisor has tons of info about Cabo. (Be sure to narrow your search to either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose.
Email me if you have any more questions.
Bob

Dominic seems to get consistently good comments over at TA.

Well here's my take- I usually go to Oaxaca and over the years it has gotten much better. I wouldn't have eaten a salad 15 years ago, but now I eat them with no problem. People either buy the stuff at the pharmacy "microdina" and put a couple of drops in the water they wash the veggies in or put in a tiny bit of bleach. Eat at any reputable restaurant and you will most likely be o.k.- they don't want you to get sick and prepare food accordingly.

Well guys I must say (suze) for your information look up the organic fruit and vegetables from Santiago a small town in Baja and you will find out that they export most of the organic fruit and vegetables that you buy in US... so before, assuming or giving an opinion let´s make some research let´s make these forums more reliable,most of the time people believe everything BAD they read...Here is my theory, bacteria at the temperature you find in Los Cabos, grows faster, yes..but some of you guys drink more than usual, and just the way mexicans cook their meals are different, let´s enjoy vacations without non-sense comments....