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Original poster

Eating salad in Greece

63 replies

Soconfusedandbroken · 17/08/2023 07:01

Off to Rhodes and was wondering how safe it is these days to eat salad in an All Inclusive hotel?

I remember years ago, it was a no-no. Is ir still like that, or have things moved on?

OP posts:
Underthelightofthefullmoon · 17/08/2023 07:59

As someone else says, the buffet food sitting around for ages is much more likely to make you ill.

TreesandFish · 17/08/2023 08:02

primoseyellow · 17/08/2023 07:52

@TreesandFish its nothing to do with tap water/hotel hygiene. It will be E coli on the lettuce which comes from animal shit in the soil and water used to grow it.

Low risk, but there have been outbreaks in America where several children and elderly have died.

Before going to Nepal, the travel nurse that gave me all the vaccinations told me about the risk of hepatitis as the water over there carried it. I might have misunderstood though!

All I know is that I got the runs after eating a piece of watermelon, which I had cut myself . I had bought the entire fruit.

WandaWonder · 17/08/2023 08:04

What do the greek people do eat fish and chips?

Random789 · 17/08/2023 08:05

I thought half the point of going to Greece was to eat salad.

Notgoodatpoetrybutgreatatlit · 17/08/2023 08:05

I was in Glasgow once and the water had been contaminated accidentally and the locals went down like flies. Not me I had been drinking dodgy London tap water for decades!
It's what your own system is used to. Thanks to Thames tap water I think I could safely drink water from the actual Thames. Lol, btw.

primoseyellow · 17/08/2023 08:05

@TreesandFish yes that's a good point about Hepatitis in the water there.

But Ecoli is generally from animal crap that contaminates at source.

DinnaeFashYersel · 17/08/2023 08:10

It's a modern country fully compliant with all EU laws and regulations.

Probably safer to eat a salad there than in post brexit Britain

LaBellina · 17/08/2023 08:12

I would only avoid if you’re pregnant because of toxoplasmosis risk. I came back from Greece 3 days ago and ate salad every day, including ones that my Greek friend made for me herself. It was delicious. I had zero issues.

MarshyMcMarshFace · 17/08/2023 08:16

I’d rather eat salad in a country compliant with EU safety laws than in our sewage drenched country.

Greece is not India, or Nepal, or Egypt

The flies and small birds hopping around big hotel buffets make me wonder.

Mirabai · 17/08/2023 08:17

Eh?

gogomoto · 17/08/2023 08:23

Laughing my head off - if the salad was making people ill, don't you think the EU health authorities would intervene????

I've eaten salad all over the world to no ill effects. Hoteliers don't like making their guests sick!

The only time I've been ill from a buffet in my life was in the USA! (And being norovirus thus was another guest being less than hygienic rather than the restaurants fault per se).

Perhaps refuse the lettuce leaf in rural Africa but Greece... of course it's fine

gogomoto · 17/08/2023 08:24

Ps drank tap water in Sri Lanka too, might not have been the smartest move but didn't get sick, it was a 5 star hotel thoughGrin

Fuckthebucket · 17/08/2023 08:25

I ate salad in Greece yesterday. Still alive so far.

TotalDramarama · 17/08/2023 08:26

I usually eat it. No ill effects, but I do have a bit if a cement mixer stomach!

I did swerve it in Tangiers as the place I was eating didn't look that clean.

Ate it in Peru and also fine there, but I didn't drink unfiltered water there or in Greece

BabyHaribo · 17/08/2023 08:26

Don't know why people are making fun. It used to be a 'thing' and the OP what is asking as she's not sure

You'll be fine with salad op and ice as most hotels buy it or bake with filtered water.

I don't drink tap water abroad. Not because I think it's dirty just as it's different to home and my digestive system is pretty sensitive

RumNotRun · 17/08/2023 08:27

@Thighdentitycrisis I read that as you put it down to the waiter 😂 I wondered what the poor chap had done!

geoger · 17/08/2023 08:28

I don’t think the op is asking about eating salad in Greece I think the question is more about eating salad from an ai buffet.
OP once you’ve seen the buffet at the hotel make a judgement based on that

PuttingDownRoots · 17/08/2023 08:29

I lived in Cyprus for two years (which while isn't in Greece, its that part of the world!). Ate salad, rice, fruit, water....

AI hotels get slated on reviews if guests get food poisoning... its in their interests to make sure the food is safe!

Xrays · 17/08/2023 08:30

If you have ibs or a difficult immune system due to autoimmune issues etc it’s actually a very reasonable question to ask. Most eu countries have water with a different mineral content to our own and if salad is washed in it it can actually make some very unwell. I fall into this category and so never eat salad / fruits I can’t peel myself abroad. I don’t drink the tap water and I am very careful to only have ice where I know it comes in bags that have been made from bottled water - a lot of larger hotels etc have ice machines that fill from the tap.

gingercat02 · 17/08/2023 08:31

I don't drink tap water abroad. Not because I think it's dirty just as it's different to home and my digestive system is pretty sensitive
My parents lived in rural Spain and the Spanish don't drink unboiled tap water as lots of it is desalinated. As it was in the Canaries when we were there last week.
All big hotels will have drinking water to wash uncooked food with.

FindingMeno · 17/08/2023 08:31

I easily get sick overseas even without drinking the water.
I was fine with Greek salad thank goodness.
Unless there are particular reasons ( eg pregnancy) I would go for it.

Honeyandwine · 17/08/2023 08:32

I have never heard of this before. The best part about being in Greece is the salad! Eat it and enjoy.

Tisfortired · 17/08/2023 08:32

Went to Greece last August and I think I lived on Greek salad! I’d kill for one now 🤤 you’ll be fine.

MustardChair · 17/08/2023 08:33

We are just back from Greece.

DH is vegetarian and dislikes fried food so he basically lived on Greek salad. No issues and he generally has a bit of troubles with his stomach as standard. Nothing fells me and i ate some sort of salad every day as well.

Was one of the best parts! I promised myself we would have a daily salad once home as well for health purposes but it certainly does not taste as good here!

wineandsunshine · 17/08/2023 08:41

I came back from Rhodes on Tuesday - I ate Greek salad every evening and had ice in my cocktails!

Enjoy x