Warning - Multiple people sick at Iberostar

[Christi]

I have been to Cozumel twice and walked pretty much every street between Calle 11 Sur and Calle 10 Norte and between the water front and Avenida 30. I have been to the southern end of the island twice, including venturing inland to El Cedral. I have gone as far north on the eastern side of the island as is permitted post-Wilma. I spent Sunday evening the town square the first time. Have been through the shops surrounding the square, but I much prefer the ones on the back streets which are farther removed from tourist heaven. Practiced my very rusty Spanish enough to be able to at least communicate with local shop owners who were far enough off the square that it was a toss up as to whether my Spanish or their English was a better tool for communication.

I just don't think where one eats necessarily makes the difference between experiencing the place I'm visiting and hiding in a resort. That is particularly when the food at the place I'm staying at serves good local food. If you haven't tried the evening meals at Scuba Club Cozumel, you should - at least when I was there they served a wide variety of local dishes (including identfiying for us which native tradition the food grew out of).

I also don't think eating at AIs is inherently unsafe - which certainly seemed to be the direction the conversation was headed when I jumped in.

That doesn't mean I won't necessarily try a different travel plan in the future - partly it depends on whether I'm traveling with a group (in which case the AI is prepaid, and I don't have a choice about paying for my food a second time) or by myself (and am free to make my own arrangements). If I'm traveling with a group, I'm likely to experience the island - as I have both times I've been there - but return to the AI for meals rather than paying twice for my food.




I believe you are confusing a comment someone else made with my response to it. In the context of this discussion, someone else implied that eating where locals eat would keep you safe (with the flip side being that if locals don't eat there it is not safe). My response was that you can't judge whether or not a place is safe to eat by whether or not locals eat there. Locals don't eat at places for a number of reasons, only one of which might be safety. On the flip side, one's GI tract does grow accustomed to what one is exposed to. Just because a local eats somewhere does not necessarily mean it is safe for non-locals to eat there (and that applies whether you're in Mexico, US, or anywhere else).

I stand corrected I am glad that you have gotten out and explored...I gathered a different impression from your earlier post...my bad

I agree, food and where you eat doesn't have to be the priority...I was simply speaking in the context that you can actually eat very good and safe food here without having to worry about getting sick. I hear of more people getting sick fro the AI buffets and over indulgence in alcohol than anything else, so I was trying to bunk that myth that AI food is safer than eating outside of the resort. I was not slamming people who choose to stay at AI's for the convenience and sometimes cost effectiveness...I just really encourage people to venture out of the AI compounds and try some local food and experience the culture...that was really my point

 

[ggunn]

Driftin' by------hmmm, I guess you can be proud of that "dollop" of mayo, but did you know that mayo ONLY goes bad if it has been refrigerated first and THEN goes to a warm place?

Why is that? I can't think of (or find) any reason why that may be true. I found several studies that show that the deterioration (as indexed by flavor change due to oxidation, not the growth of pathogens) of mayonnaise which has been exposed to air may be slowed by refrigeration, but none that suggest that refrigerating it and then storing it warm hastens its demise.

 

[DandyDon]

Why is that? I can't think of (or find) any reason why that may be true. I found several studies that show that the deterioration (as indexed by flavor change due to oxidation, not the growth of pathogens) of mayonnaise which has been exposed to air may be slowed by refrigeration, but none that suggest that refrigerating it and then storing it warm hastens its demise.

Yep, I found a few sites that agree - unless it's homemade mayo, altho I gave the wrong link. It takes me so long to go thru a quart tho that I'll keep it friged. Besides I use white salad dressing instead; who knows.

I also keep pickles, ketchup, jams and jellies in frig even tho not needed. Like 'em cold.

I cannot find any site that says it's okay to leave my butter in the cabinet, but I'm sticking with that.

 

[NancyLynn]

I stand corrected I am glad that you have gotten out and explored...

I even went by your shop twice when I was there in February. Probably went by it the first time too, but it wouldn't have meant anything then since that was before I started hanging out on Scubaboard.

 

[Martha]

I cannot find any site that says it's okay to leave my butter in the cabinet, but I'm sticking with that.

For my whole childhood & teen years, the butter was never refrigerated and we're (brothers, sisters & parents) still alive and kicking...

 

[DandyDon]

For my whole childhood & teen years, the butter was never refrigerated and we're (brothers, sisters & parents) still alive and kicking...

I buy a box of 4 sticks and it goes in the frig until one is needed. Funny, every site I can find with an opinion says to keep it all cold - some even note to not use the butter compartment in the door as it's not cold enough: stick it in back at the bottom.

 

[driftin' by]

As for his comment on the thread turning into a AI bashing thread though...I thought the title of the thread was WARNING WILL ROBINSON! WARNING!

You're right... it started as an AI bash fest.

Ugh, after rereading my earlier post, I came off sounding like a big supporter of AI's. I guess those Saturday afternoon cocktails were already starting to kick in. By no means am I a supporter of them. It's just that different people have different expectations of what they want out of their vacation. We used to get out and pound the pavement checking out everything. I hate to say it, but after so many trips, the mystery and mystique is gone. I've grown apathetic and unexcited. Perhaps it's time for a change?

The convenience of having breakfast and lunch on-site is huge especially when you have a toddler with you and when the AI add on is only $53 a day. IIRC, our tab at Casa Denis this last trip was $48 to put it into perspective. Delicious, healthy, worth every penny and nobody got sick. However, it doesn't make me feel like I'm paying twice for food and you won't hear me complain about it. We know that staying at FA it's not going to be the greatest food and it's going to get repetitive but for just a $6 cab ride into town we're free to enjoy to bountiful feast at any of the great eateries. But again, there are many other aspects of staying at FA that we've come to appreciate that far exceed other options on the island.

I didn't know that about mayo but I always wondered what they did to the stuff in the packets you get at restaurants. I have a firm policy of once it's opened, it goes into the fridge... except for peanut butter. Leaving butter out??? Here in Houston that be like welcome sing for bugs.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

You all talking about "butter" but I would almost bet you really mean margarine. There is a difference.

Rancid butter will hurt you. It's made with milk fat. Margarine is pretty shelf stable.

The same goes for mayo. Real mayo has eggs in it. It will go bad. The stuff in stores now is very different. Much safer.

 

[NancyLynn]

You all talking about "butter" but I would almost bet you really mean margarine. There is a difference.

Rancid butter will hurt you. It's made with milk fat.

In Nebraska, where the temperature is 90+ a good bit of the summer, we always left the stick of butter currently being consumed out of the fridge (and I do know the difference between butter and margarine). Never had either bugs or rancid butter - and we could actually spread the butter rather than just having chunks randomly placed on the bread.

While it may go bad eventually if left at room temperature, the length of time it takes to go bad is at least several days.

 

[DandyDon]

You all talking about "butter" but I would almost bet you really mean margarine. There is a difference.

Rancid butter will hurt you. It's made with milk fat. Margarine is pretty shelf stable.

The same goes for mayo. Real mayo has eggs in it. It will go bad. The stuff in stores now is very different. Much safer.

Nope, I never buy margarine. We used it for a few years as a kid after dad stopped milking our own cow (gawd churning was hard work!) as it was cheaper and we were poor, but been back on butter for years. Can't justify it; it just seems ok.

Factory made mayo is considered safe at room temp because acidic pH and pasteurization. Excerpts from: Mayonnaise Spoilage Myths - Mayonnaise Safety

...commercial mayonnaise is loaded with acid and preservatives that can actually extend the life of salads by killing bacteria. The eggs used in prepared mayonnaise are pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria.

On the other hand, homemade mayonnaise carries more risk if not handled properly. Foods using homemade mayo should be eaten immediately or properly refrigerated. The best bet is to make up only the amount of mayonnaise that you need, and do not plan on leftovers.

Traditional homemade mayonnaise contains raw egg yolks. The perfect solution is to purchase irradiated eggs which are now available in most markets. Irradiated eggs carry no risk of salmonella contamination and are perfectly safe to use in raw preparations.

But then, I've been using Salad Dressing Spread instead of Mayo since my mom got in the habit of buying Miracle Whip before I was born - I just buy the store brand. It has less egg content, but I still frig it out of habit: Salad dressing spread - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salad dressing spread, often called salad dressing, is a condiment similar to mayonnaise. Unlike bottled salad dressings, salad dressing spread is not typically poured on salads but is spread on sandwiches. Salad dressing spread appeared during the Great Depression. The original appears to be Miracle Whip, made from a recipe bought from a restaurateur by Kraft and marketed still today. Salad dressing spread has more sugar, vinegar, and water and less egg yolk than mayonnaise. This made it less expensive to produce and buy during the Depression, thus helping its popularity. Because Miracle Whip is trademarked, almost every other company that makes salad dressing spread calls it simply salad dressing. Miracle Whip is by far the biggest seller on the market. JFG markets the product as JFG Salad Dressing. Most private label brands offer salad dressing spread as well. Many connoisseurs say Miracle Whip has the most flavor of the products, while cheaper salad dressing spreads tend to be more bland.

Versus Mayonnaise

Salad dressing spread claims to taste like mayonnaise or different from mayonnaise depending on who is marketing it. Both have their supporters. Most chefs who are familiar with both products do not use them interchangeably. Salad dressing spread is noticeably sweeter and tarter than mayonnaise. To most people familiar with the products, salad dressing spread tastes no more like mayonnaise than Dijon mustard tastes like yellow mustard.

Dang, if I don't keep jams, jelly, ketchup, mayo or salad dressing, pickles, relish, mustard in the frige door anymore - I'll have a lot more room for root beers...!! :beer:

BBQ sauce says in the fridge, tho. Can't find any support for leaving it out. Mostly foods with pH under 6 can be left out: US FDA pH of Foods and Food products