5 Foods And Drinks To Avoid At The Airport, According To Food Safety Experts

You'll thank yourself later.

Many hungry travelers turn to airport grab-and-go food before flights, but, if you want to avoid getting sick before hopping on a plane, you may want to think twice about your choices.

For example, food and beverage items can become contaminated with harmful bacteria if they’re not kept at appropriate temperatures or handled in clean conditions — and you may not know how well-regulated airport food is. Even if these items don’t necessarily taste or smell bad, you can still get sick from them, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. And that’s the last thing you want happening before you board a flight.

“Once consumables arrive at [airport] service areas, they must be properly stored, thawed and prepared, with strict adherence to food safety protocols,” explained Francine Shaw, founder of Savvy Food Safety Inc. and a food safety consultant who spent years inspecting airport facilities. “Otherwise, the risk of foodborne illness increases with every step.”

We talked to food safety experts about which food and drink items they tend to skip when at the airport — and safer options they opt for instead.

Fountain Drinks And Iced Tea