Thanks Madridman, I'm glad not to read that stuff anymore. Grulla.

Unfortunately Mr. lionni was trying to cause irritation simply for his amusement. It's kinda pathetic when your source of amusement is to annoy people.

Thanks, MM.

On three separate occassions I have suffered from food poisoning... and they all took place in the US. The first time was in an Italian restaurant in Albany, NY. I ate something I never eat (don't know why, til this day, I opted for it): meatballs. Spent 48 hours in the bathroom between kneeling and squatting.

The second time was in San Diego at the Marriott Hotel...I ate a roast duck dinner in the hotel restaurant. They, the hotel, rushed me to the hospital (and paid all expenses) for me to spend, again, 48 hours staring at porcelain.

The third time was when a week after returning from Spain 5 years ago. Notice...a week after returning from Spain. The fault was my own...I ate undercooked bacon (well, to be honest...it was raw...a habit I acquired since childhood and have since stopped for obvious reasons). BTW...this wasn't salmonella...but something considerably more severe...I became extremely dehydrated because of my incessant (every 10 minutes) runs to the bathroom (no pun here).

My point...food poisoning can happen anywhere. It can be, almost a certainty,with certain foods (mayonaise, for example, in a restaurant whether in Spain or elsewhere)or just plain old stupidity (eating raw fish or meat).

Sheryl

I have a bit of training with food safety and I would like to add a point of two.

1-Commercially made Mayonaise is not the problem. It has been made from pastuerised eggs and ph adjusted (acid and preservatives have been added) so it is not a good medium for pathogenic bacterial growth. Homemade can be a problem, but who makes mayo anymore?

2-The most hazardous foods are meat, poultry, fish, eggs and cooked rice. They are high in protein and moisture and low in acid. Shellfish have an additional problem in that they suck up contaminants from their surroundings. (They grow great right next to sewage drians!

3-Salmonella usually takes a minimum of 8 hours but up to 72 hours to incubate, so it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what made you sick.

In my experience in Spain I would say the most likely things to make you sick are tortillas (especially the ones that are rare in the middle) and paella that sit out at room temp all day. The easiest way to prevent salmonellosis is to heat it to 165 degrees. If you are worried have them heat your tortilla!

Sheryl:

One can get sick for eating raw meat? Or is it only with bacon? I mean, besides of bacterian infection.

I ask this because I have eaten raw meat sometimes (like steak tartar), and fish (like sushi) or just marinated in lime juice (peruvian cebiche). I was told by doctors (I think I recall) that raw food, if clean of bacteria, is better for your stomach and intestines, because it's richer in water. In fact, ,I think I have heard or read that the perfect diet for a person (non vegetarian) would be vegetablesand fruits and always raw meat and fish.

BTW: I did the raw bacon thing some times, I like it this way. But after all, it's not absolutely raw since it's smoked, like salmon or (somehow) our cured ham.

Mongo:

Athough restaurants need to use here commercial makes mayonaisse or a homemade product that I believe doesn't include egg, or maybe some egg powder, I dislike those. Maybe because the commercial ones are made with lemon instead of vinegar, and they have much more starch. Because of both matters I consider it not only less tasty but also a bit less healthy.

Thanks God some restaurants still have the traditional one, because we clients use to love it. Also, the best tortilla de patata is the one that has a tiny amount of its egg still liquid inside. It's more juicy. And of course, being egg liquid means it's raw, so it's more dangerous.

Egg is dangerous if there isn't an extremely clean manipulation AND there are hot temperatures. So, if you are absolutely sure (which is very difficult, because even at the best restaurants sometimes you see things...) it's a temptation you can't avoid.

As for "who makes mayo at home?" I do. At home or at my parents (At least if I am home) I always do mayo when needed, and everybody says it's great. One of the few things I can cook, i am afraid. Always very highienically, always in the fridge the ramains of the lunch or dinner, you can have it 4 days later or more without risk, and I have.

I consider myself a seasoned Spain traveler but I came home with Salmonella in June. I attribute it to a sopa de marisco I had at a Restaurant on the rua de Franco (aka Calle de los restaurantes) in Santiago de Compostela.

Maybe I should have remembered the old 'Don't eat shellfish in any month that doesn't have an 'r' in it.'

Yes, Iganacio, you can get food poisoning from eating raw or undercooked meats. There have been several outbreaks in the US over the past 10 years attributed to contaminated ground beef in hamburgers where they were not cooked to an internal temperature of at least 180 (or is it 165) degress farenheit. That made the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) require new labeling on meat packaging about how to cook meat and now you see lots of meat thermometers being sold! I know here in Madrid it is very common (I seen it at more than one VIPS and Fosters Hollywood)to routinely get a fairly rare burger unless you ask for it well-done, and even then it may well not have been cooked to the proper temperature.

Thanks, ChrisR. Then, there would be no problem with germs-clean raw food, and cooking is made to sterilize it. I see.

I personally don't usually have raw food but for some exceptions like the said tortilla (sometimes) and steaks (not very rare), but it's good to know.

Mahonese in Spain should (by law) always be industrial in resturants and bars. That kind is made with dehydrated and sterilized eggs.

I've eaten mahonese in summer in lots of places and never had a problem.

But food poisoning in Spain is common in summer. These are my rules:

1) Avoid natural water while in coastal and rural places.

2) Avoid eating in places were locals don't eat.

3) Never eat food that looks as if it has been cooked for hours.

4) Do never eat shellfish if it tastes bad. Take it out of your mouth inmediately. And never open shellfish that has not opened after being boiled.

5) If you are finally poisoned, complain to the restaurant (there are complain standard sheets everywhere by law) and go to police. You must have your rights protected.

Fernando