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Should you bring your own food when visiting China?
There was a big New York Times story this weekend about the US Olympics delegation's plan to ship in 25,000 pounds of their own food to Beijing this summer.Here's what one caterer for the delegation had to say about an innocent looking piece of chicken he found at an everyday supermarket. "We had it tested and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes. They all would have tested positive." And more:
In recent years, some foods in China have been found to be tainted with insecticides and illegal veterinary drugs, and the standards applied to meat there are lower than those in the United States, raising fears of food-borne illnesses.
If Chinese food isn't good enough for US athletes, is it good enough for you? I think the surprising answer is no--if you have a sensitive stomach. My girlfriend got deathly sick for a week this past summer from eating a cantaloupe from a street vendor. I had similar problems a couple years back buying octopus from a street vendor. I think it goes to show: stick to actual restaurants.
Gallery: Beijing's famous snack street and nightlife
Filed under: Food and Drink, China
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jamar Feb 13th 2008 6:18AM
Down here in Shanghai, at least, if you have a normal immune system you should be OK eating from 'most anywhere (cautionary notes- if you eat from a street vendor, only eat cooked food, and always ask them not to apply any sauces/powders to the food until you know what it is).