Confused about food safety - food in pack

Isca-camigo said:

I have not seen it presented in packaging even in Lille, we would head off to a cheese shop and the guy would cut if off big blocks/boules, there would be several, all with different ages.I have only seen it once in the UK and that was 3/4 years ago at a deli counter in a Morrisons.

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JZA said:

Hi,
The trick is to only buy for one day at a time then keep it as cool as you can. Wrapped up in spare clothing or whatever. Overnight you can cover everything with a damp cloth and the evaporation keeps everything cool.
For me cheese and chorizo can last a week, although softer cheeses tend to run and get messy. I wouldn't carry yogurt as it can make a lot of itself if it leaks and it is not high on my list of must have food anyway. Milk can be stored in a Nalgene bottle and washed out each day. I use one for wild camping but don't on the Camino. If you buy local bread then that will go stale fairly quickly but is so much better than the industrial made bread with all the preservatives. So i buy bread daily and a bottle of fresh squeezed OJ as a treat.
I lived and worked in the US quite a lot over the years and was amazed at how cautious people were encouraged to be. Its all to do with litigation. A lady brought a cup of coffee from McDonalds and drove off with it in her lap. Surprise; it fell over and she was scalded. Now you can only get warm coffee because a judge said the coffee was "unnecessarily hot" and awarder her a bunch of money. In the UK we would have said she was probably too dumb to have a driving license.

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jeanineonthecamino said:

And when you have dietary restrictions - carrying your dietary needs may be necessary and/or preferred. Even on the days I had plenty of access to "food", I didn't find I had access to the "right food" for my medically prescribed diet. Too much of the food being served was on my "do not eat" list, especially foods on the pilgrims menu. And many non-perishable foods that most people carry I am also not supposed to eat. But many of the perishable foods - things like eggs, cheese, meats, and yogurt ARE on my medically prescribed diet.

I do carry non-perishable foods. But I also need to supplement with some perishable items, perishable foods that support and promote my medical dietary needs. And to do this - to some degree, I need to carry perishable foods.

So yes, this topic is relevant to many individuals.

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Anamiri said:

Travelling with a coeliac person opens your eyes to the difficulties of obtaining suitable food.

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good_old_shoes said:

Hard boiled eggs can be stored outside of a fridge for a week or even longer, (depending on temperature) - as long they are stored at somewhat 'cool' room temperature (not in the sun and heat of course!). Even fresh eggs could be stored outside of a fridge the first weeks ... as long as they haven't been washed (and again in a cool place, not the hot sun ect.)!

I've read that in some countries store bought eggs are always washed and that's why it has become the norm to always put them in a fridge (washing will damage the egg's natural protective layer). But with fresh eggs, it is not really necessary. Where I live, eggs are sold unrefridgerated. That's common in many parts of Europe to my knowledge. So if you look for them in a supermarket here, don't be surprised to find them outside of a fridge.

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Stivandrer said:

I cannot believe that eggs are washed anywhere in the world!

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C clearly said:

You are making some big assumptions here. Try finding a place for breakfast on any route other than the Camino Frances, or even on the Frances during the off-season! Planning some morning nourishment is wise, as is educating ourselves about food safety..

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oursonpolaire said:

For those of us who frequent the less-frequented Caminos, we can be fairly certain of NOT finding a place for breakfast en route unless we have the good fortune to be near a truckers' café (los camineros) where good breakfasts and warm hospitality can be had. If not, then that piece of cheese and chorizo in the backpack, with an orange or two, is all that stands between one and grave food-deprivation.

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