Canadian planning first trip to Vietnam - Health related questions

Are vaccinations needed ....? Please be reminded, this is not a Dr. forum, so you will receive in best case personal opinions.
In Europe, Dr(s)  don't advise any  vaccinations for Vietnam visits , unless ...unless you have known specific medical conditions.
My best guess would be, you get a medical writing/letter about your precise medical conditions, which a local Dr. from a local international hospital (English speaking) can interprete very clear.

Medical issues in Vietnamare currently season (regional:
- Dengue fever {mosquito born)
- some kind of bird flue and pig  fever

Against none of them seems to be a vaccination to exist. Follow you local doctor..

You are more likely to catch a stomach upset or something like, when you take street food and  (more dirty ) ice in drinks, as you really need.
What you catch here on upsets can be cured with local stuff very  well.

In HCMC you are more likely to be struck by a bike and/or drunk, than any of the above.

Unless you depend on special prescription stuff, you not need anything, than a wallet, to get what you need.

=== MY OPINION ===

Thanks for the reply bully

I appreciate the realistic advice.

Hope others can chime in as well

Neither my husband nor I had any vaccinations before we moved here, not even the recommended Hep A and Typhoid.  We were not being reckless, we just plain forgot about it.   

Cooking at home is safer than eating out, but you still need to pay great attention to the washing of vegetable and fruits.  My daily routine:  Separate the leaves from vegetable stems or head.  Scrub them down in tap water.  Soak everything in a diluted solution of vinegar or sea salt for 2 minutes.  Dry.  Peel skin off all fruits. 

I also scrub cutting board in baking soda or full strength vinegar.

If you are old enough to have had your childhood ahead of the MMR vaccine in the late 60's, you may have already had an active infection with Measles, Mumps and Rubella (German Measles.)   If you are born in the 70's or later, you may have been vaccinated already.  Hep A and B is not a bad idea.  Hep B is unlikely in Canada but Hep A is food borne and can be contracted anywhere.  You problem is that as it takes multiple shots, you are probably too late to finish the cycle before your trip.

CDC guidelines are for general case. Your disorder is a special case, ask your doctor not a forum. The Tropical Disease hospital in Saigon has hepatitis, HIV, and TB patients. Malaria is rare. Dengue not too serious, tetanus happens. You take a chance when you leave the West. Anyone tell you about the traffic yet?

Ciambella wrote:

Neither my husband nor I had any vaccinations before we moved here, not even the recommended Hep A and Typhoid.  We were not being reckless, we just plain forgot about it.   

Cooking at home is safer than eating out, but you still need to pay great attention to the washing of vegetable and fruits.  My daily routine:  Separate the leaves from vegetable stems or head.  Scrub them down in tap water.  Soak everything in a diluted solution of vinegar or sea salt for 2 minutes.  Dry.  Peel skin off all fruits. 

I also scrub cutting board in baking soda or full strength vinegar.

Seriously?

Is this what expat life looks like in Vietnam?  Are the other expats doing the same?

I drink something almost every day from street vendors with ice in it, eat ice cream and fruits from street vendors and almost every day street food. I also regularly drink Rau Ma (pureed uncooked green stuff) from street vendors.

I wash fruits and vegetables with normal tap water and eat it uncooked.  I also cook with normal tap water (only for drinking I use bottled water).

I've been here for more than a year now and haven't had the slightest problem with the food.

Except that my collesterol and blood sugar levels have increased because a lot of cooking is done with frying oil and sugar and a lot of sugar is put into fruit drinks and coffee.

By the way, here in the forum it was recommended to take tablets every 6 months for deworming.  However, the doctor said to do something in advance before any symptoms appear is nonsense.

Andy Passenger wrote:

Seriously?

Is this what expat life looks like in Vietnam?  Are the other expats doing the same?

I wash fruits and vegetables with normal tap water and eat it uncooked.  .

Don't know about other expats because I don't hang out with expats, except my husband and my niece's SO who is a German physician in Saigon.

I'm doing the same thing that my nieces, nephews, and their adult offsprings, all of them lifelong locals, are doing in their own kitchens.

All of them scrub then soak their veggies and fruits with sea salt or diluted vinegar in tap water.  All of them scrub their cutting boards with full strength vinegar. 

They eat street foods but only selectively.  They only eat uncooked greens from street food vendors and in restaurants after they inspect them AND if there is a bowl of hot clear broth to blanch them in.  (I've been to restaurants where this request is the norm.)

I've been with my relatives many times when they turned away from certain street food vendors simply because the cooks didn't wear gloves, or handled money with the same hand that handle food, or because the dishes were washed in the same basin for apparently the whole day, without fresh or running water to replace.  They also walked out of certain restaurants because the hygiene condition was unacceptable to them.

I have a large extended family here, so the number of locals who practice safe food, at least in my circle, is considerable.

Iam also coocking a lot at ome, it's not about the Vietnamese food , but I just don't like fries with butter and sugar and semicircular hickups or steaks raped with a scissors...eggs stored cold
I buy my food to almost 100% at the markets (exceptions : mustard and vinegar and packaged noodle soups). Sure, food must be cleaned before use, also with normal water (have own water supply and tap filter. Meats I buy in huge lumps and cut it down, as I need. As I buy pretty almost direct food from source, I can keep it sufficient long and process, what is not gone in time.
I don't need to follow any diets and also take drinks (not beer) with ice, beers only COLD, eat along the street vendors and even drink the local draft beers. But I am now almost 30 years in Asia, know, most critical points of foods and  have worked a number of years with foods.
This I would not recommend fpr a normal tourist. Food is still very dodgy and those, who ain't experienced, there are enough supermarkets.
Definitely, I would recommend some of the street food, at least there, where is a decent turnover and it's not looking to messy. Ice yes, but sure not more than really neded

"My pharmacist who I spoke too about the vaccinations, said he visited Vietnam years ago with no vaccinations and he was fine , ive heard a few others say this online as well so I'm not sure."
And I'm not sure why you are asking a question in which the one professional gave you an answer?

As Ciambella describes, my gf pretty much does the same. All vegetables and chicken is washed in salted water a few times before cooking.
A few times, in the early days, I would sneak a raw vegetable and discovered that that was treated like I drank cyanide: "If I loved her, why am I trying to kill myself"

Wood chopping boards have their own antibiotic properties (no one should use plastic), but yes, she is as fanatical about that also.

Who is doing the cooking at the AirB&B? if it's you, what's the point?

So don't eat tasty things like that (unless you cook it yourself)?

https://www.google.com.vn/search?q=spri … GjTKGfoHM:

https://goo.gl/images/3P15bT

Wxx3 wrote:

As Ciambella describes, my gf pretty much does the same. All vegetables and chicken is washed in salted water a few times before cooking.
A few times, in the early days, I would sneak a raw vegetable and discovered that that was treated like I drank cyanide: "If I loved her, why am I trying to kill myself"

I've been eating abroad my whole life without any special arrangements.  If everything were as bad as they always say, I would have been dead a long time ago.  But apart from a little too high colesterol and blood sugar since I am here in Vietnam I am really very healthy.

Next spring I'm going to the next health check-up and I'm confident that cholesterol and blood sugar levels are back in the green range as I've been paying a little attention to what kind of street food I eat.

Ciambella wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

Seriously?

Is this what expat life looks like in Vietnam?  Are the other expats doing the same?

I wash fruits and vegetables with normal tap water and eat it uncooked.  .

Don't know about other expats because I don't hang out with expats, except my husband and my niece's SO who is a German physician in Saigon.

I'm doing the same thing that my nieces, nephews, and their adult offsprings, all of them lifelong locals, are doing in their own kitchens.

All of them scrub then soak their veggies and fruits with sea salt or diluted vinegar in tap water.  All of them scrub their cutting boards with full strength vinegar. 

They eat street foods but only selectively.  They only eat uncooked greens from street food vendors and in restaurants after they inspect them AND if there is a bowl of hot clear broth to blanch them in.  (I've been to restaurants where this request is the norm.)

I've been with my relatives many times when they turned away from certain street food vendors simply because the cooks didn't wear gloves, or handled money with the same hand that handle food, or because the dishes were washed in the same basin for apparently the whole day, without fresh or running water to replace.  They also walked out of certain restaurants because the hygiene condition was unacceptable to them.

I have a large extended family here, so the number of locals who practice safe food, at least in my circle, is considerable.

To the OP first, I traveled monthly between the USA and VN for years and no vaccines and no problems and never sick, not once.  But to be clear, I am a health freak.

I agree with Ciambella.  I am amazed at how much time my VN family spends going to the right markets, taking leaves and stems off of food, washing them, cleaning them and cooking them and this is done DAILY.  We rarely ate outside and if we did, Mom would always complain, LOL.  My biggest issue is the amount of MSG, sugar and vegetable oil that is used.  I flat out tell my in laws that coffee is black and no msg, no sugar and I buy organic coconut oil for cooking.  I even brought a big berkey water filter system from the USA to VN so at least I know my coffee and food is being prepared with clean water.  But I also wanted my VN family to have clean water daily and not have to worry about buying bottled water.  Yes, they love it.

vndreamer wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

Seriously?

Is this what expat life looks like in Vietnam?  Are the other expats doing the same?

I wash fruits and vegetables with normal tap water and eat it uncooked.  .

Don't know about other expats because I don't hang out with expats, except my husband and my niece's SO who is a German physician in Saigon.

I'm doing the same thing that my nieces, nephews, and their adult offsprings, all of them lifelong locals, are doing in their own kitchens.

All of them scrub then soak their veggies and fruits with sea salt or diluted vinegar in tap water.  All of them scrub their cutting boards with full strength vinegar. 

They eat street foods but only selectively.  They only eat uncooked greens from street food vendors and in restaurants after they inspect them AND if there is a bowl of hot clear broth to blanch them in.  (I've been to restaurants where this request is the norm.)

I've been with my relatives many times when they turned away from certain street food vendors simply because the cooks didn't wear gloves, or handled money with the same hand that handle food, or because the dishes were washed in the same basin for apparently the whole day, without fresh or running water to replace.  They also walked out of certain restaurants because the hygiene condition was unacceptable to them.

I have a large extended family here, so the number of locals who practice safe food, at least in my circle, is considerable.

To the OP first, I traveled monthly between the USA and VN for years and no vaccines and no problems and never sick, not once.  But to be clear, I am a health freak.

I agree with Ciambella.  I am amazed at how much time my VN family spends going to the right markets, taking leaves and stems off of food, washing them, cleaning them and cooking them and this is done DAILY.  We rarely ate outside and if we did, Mom would always complain, LOL.  My biggest issue is the amount of MSG, sugar and vegetable oil that is used.  I flat out tell my in laws that coffee is black and no msg, no sugar and I buy organic coconut oil for cooking.  I even brought a big berkey water filter system from the USA to VN so at least I know my coffee and food is being prepared with clean water.  But I also wanted my VN family to have clean water daily and not have to worry about buying bottled water.  Yes, they love it.

I'll also add that my gf cooks better than any restaurant we have eaten in. I'n convinced it's because:
How she prepares the food,
Quality of what she buys:
   I just go her to use an even better all anchovy fish sauce and that also makes a difference,
   Not using Chinese garlic, etc
Her attention to detail

She is a country girl. First class medical care is a recent thing, so country people have developed systems that have kept them alive for thousands of years.
I have to respect that.

vndreamer wrote:

But to be clear, I am a health freak.

Me too.

But if you have decided to live in Vietnam you have to accept big health restrictions.
At the beginning I hardly dared to breathe in the streets of HCMC.
And it took me almost a year to get used a little to the exhaust fumes.

You also have to health restrictions when it comes to food.
There is a lot of information about bad quality food that is sold in street markets.
https://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/phap-luat … 46183.html

But you can also make you crazy.
If I was so afraid of bad food, I wouldn't be able to eat with my wife's family anymore or with people who spontaneously invite you for a meal, because it can also happen that ants run over the rice bowl.

Until now, my body has never let me down and rebelled when I have been eaten something bad. But so far this has never happened in Vietnam (and in Thailand, Cambodia and China). Until then I will continue to enjoy street food and food in small local restaurants.

Even though I haven't had any problems with any food and beverage so far, I started preparing fruit smoothies and coffee at home about half a year ago (only seldom drink cà phê sữa outside). But more because I want taking less extra sugar.
However, I still like to drink Sugar Cane with ice outside. 

In about half a year we will have our own garden with vegetables and fruits. Then, of course, we will eat less outside and always know what we have on our plates (at least as far as vegetables and fruits are concerned).

Risks with food and drinks exist worldwide, there is no way around no more. But especially in the poorer countries of SEA, tampering is a BIG issue, next to ignorance  as well common hygiene.
I am not really scared, but I sticl usually suppliers, which I trust (after surviving them longer periods of time) and those, with a high turnover and a variety of public (poor farmers next to black suit).
And to be completely hones, I don't really trust anyone but somewhere food and drinks have to come from

They have private hospital that can take care of you which is not expensive . ENCLOSE PICS OF HOSPITAL.
Cannot enclosed pictures .

Being primarily in the city should not exempt you from getting your vaccinations prior to departing Canada and, in particular, being in the city would suggest that it is even more important that you get your travel vaccinations since there are 10 million + people in the city proper. Protect yourself in every way that you can because of the 'often' poor environmental conditions here - polution - air, water, waste and associated poor health conditions of millions of people who may be in very close contact with you - people who cough, sneeze, handle food with bacteria-laden hands and who may provide you with unhealthy (infected) food. It is, in fact, safer and healthier farther away from the city.

Thanks a lot guys for all the replies

It seems to sound like going without vaccinations isn't as crazy as some make it out to be

I am really looking forward to this trip and don't want top have to worry about this so ive made my decision to go and just be safe when I am there.

Much appreciated

Hi, I was here many months last year and will be  here for five months this time. No vaccinations. buy a mosquito jacket from mec and otherwise come one over!! I did get sick two visits ago with salmonella from chicken and another bacteria from bad water.. but I was in the countryside eating and drinking with the locals for weeks so much higher risk.. one week of antibiotics and I was good as new. health system here is just fine. scary to compare to a hospital back home but just fine.

Health system is NOT just fine

Thanks exdol much appreciated


I was going to wear a lot of mosquito repellent but for night time maybe the jacket is a good idea

the bad water , was that from a bottle? Im hoping the bottled water is safe to drink, I wont ingest any of the tap water for obvious reasons


I will be eating at home pretty much 100% of the time, unless I can find a really good legitimate bone broth (no msg or additives) and places that serve taro, sweet potato or cassava dishes

well I broke my clavicle and they fixed me up just fine for what I needed while I was here. just fine indeed.

vndreamer wrote:

My biggest issue is the amount of MSG, sugar and vegetable oil that is used.

For me, MSG (E621) is the smallest evil in Vietnamese food.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msg-good-or-bad

I read again and again that a lot of MSG is used in Vietnam.

Which products used for cooking in Vietnam contain MSG?  I only know that practically all convenience products contain MSG.  However, I don't consume convenience products in Vietnam.

We use almost only Aji-ngon, pepper, soy sauce and chilli for cooking.

However, I'm not sure if Aji-ngon is healthier than e.g. salt or soy sauce to make the food salty.

Andy Passenger wrote:

We use almost only Aji-ngon, pepper, soy sauce and chilli for cooking.

However, I'm not sure if Aji-ngon is healthier than e.g. salt or soy sauce to make the food salty.

The second listed ingredient in Aji-ngon is MSG: 

"Salt, monosodium glutamate 621, disodium inosinate 631, disodium guanylate 627, Sugar, starch, meat and bone extract 4%, calcium carbonate, cooking oil, HVP, salt, pepper, garlic, citric acid 330, meat powder and other spices."

Whether MSG is bad for one's health has been among the top unending controversial subjects in the culinary world for almost 100 years now, and I doubt it'll ever change. 

My husband's cardiologists, both in Italy and the US, advised him to avoid food with MSG.  Myself, I've always experienced headache, rapid heartbeats, and nausea every time I ate something that had too much MSG added.  Because of that, MSG, either by itself or part of something else's ingredients, doesn't have any place in our kitchen cabinet.

Whenever we eat out, if the dish I order is not prepared ahead of time in bulk, I always ask the staff not to add MSG in the portion they make for me.  I try to sooth the cook's feeling by preface my request with "I know it won't taste good without MSG, but I'm allergic to it, so would you ask the kitchen staff to do this favour for me, please?"

Half of the time, the cook would replace MSG with sugar, the lesser evil IMO.

@Andy, I am basing my comment on experiences.  My, VN family and the large extended family cook daily with MSG and they think I am crazy for not using it because they all sincerely believe that "the food will not taste good without it."

Even when we moved to the States, my wife wanted to buy MSG, which is sold at the asian markets, but i told her no, we can use other ingredients if you think the food does not taste good without it.  To her surprise, she realized that MSG is not a necessity for cooking food.

vndreamer wrote:

My, VN family and the large extended family cook daily with MSG and they think I am crazy for not using it because they all sincerely believe that "the food will not taste good without it."

I've been facing that every day since we moved here.  Everyone I've ever talked to has insisted that I MUST use seasoning powder, else the food I cook would never be tasteful. 

There are at least a dozen imported brands and two dozen Made-in-Vietnam brands of powder available at the market -- Knorr, Ajinomoto, Aji-ngon, Jito, Massel, Asiapan, Dashi, Maggi, Youki, Omo, Lobo, Mitop, etc.  Every single one of them has MSG among the top ingredients.

vndreamer wrote:

@Andy, I am basing my comment on experiences.  My, VN family and the large extended family cook daily with MSG and they think I am crazy for not using it because they all sincerely believe that "the food will not taste good without it."

Even when we moved to the States, my wife wanted to buy MSG, which is sold at the asian markets, but i told her no, we can use other ingredients if you think the food does not taste good without it.  To her surprise, she realized that MSG is not a necessity for cooking food.

Same here.

I had to convince my wife that you can cook without sugar.

But even today she still thinks that it doesn't taste so good without sugar.

But with the mother of my wife I can do nothing so that she doesn't cook so much with sugar and bad oil or that she doesn't cook so much fat meat and eggs anymore.

So it is difficult to lower my high colesterol and blood sugar levels (which have only been so high since I arrived in Vietnam).

Ciambella wrote:

vndreamer wrote:

My, VN family and the large extended family cook daily with MSG and they think I am crazy for not using it because they all sincerely believe that "the food will not taste good without it."

I've been facing that every day since we moved here.  Everyone I've ever talked to has insisted that I MUST use seasoning powder, else the food I cook would never be tasteful. 

There are at least a dozen imported brands and two dozen Made-in-Vietnam brands of powder available at the market -- Knorr, Ajinomoto, Aji-ngon, Jito, Massel, Asiapan, Dashi, Maggi, Youki, Omo, Lobo, Mitop, etc.  Every single one of them has MSG among the top ingredients.

I knew my GF did not use MSG and after reading these posts this morning, I wondered why.
She told me that sometime after I had arrived last year, we were in the Co-op Mart and passing an entire row of MSG products, I pointed to them and told her they were bad.
I have no recollection of this exchange, other than it sounds like me.

She cooks at my house about 4 to 5 times a week. At her house, she says she will  use  a little MSG occasionally, but the big problem is that restaurants use why too much because it's cheaper to use than fish oil, salt or sugar.

She also believes it's used even more in the North and it's in every Pho.

But yes, definitely not needed for god taste.
One thing that we have found using a premium fish sauce (oil).  She is the best cook I have ever known and I've known a number of wonderful European cooks. She was impressed how much better everything tastes using the much better fish sauce.

In almost years, i have not eaten anything in a restaurant that is better than Trinh can or has done. I'm convinced it's a matter of the quality and preparation of the ingredients.

I got pretty ill after arriving in Hà Nội and eating a lot of morning glory in the mornings.

One day the regular hotel chef was off, and I think her assistant wasn't as fastidious about cleaning & prepping veggies.

72 hours later I was fine.

One thing I do in my hotel room is plung any fresh fruit (especially grapes) into a bucket of the scalding hot water that comes out of the instant water heater.

I bought the plastic bucket at Lotte mart.

A friend thought that would ruin the fruit, but people forget, we chill fruit mostly to preserve it; not for taste.

Any farmer will tell you that fresh tree-ripened fruit picked and eaten on a hot summer day has a wonderful flavor that can't be had from a refrigerator.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I bought the plastic bucket at Lotte mart.
.

You need to ditch the plastic bucket, especially if your putting hot water in it.  Get stainless steel or mason jar type containers.  You should avoid plastic at all costs.

vndreamer wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I bought the plastic bucket at Lotte mart.
.

You need to ditch the plastic bucket, especially if your putting hot water in it.  Get stainless steel or mason jar type containers.  You should avoid plastic at all costs.

I wouldn't 'should' on you.

Why do you 'should' on me?

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I wouldn't 'should' on you.

Why do you 'should' on me?

Are you sure your posting history can hold up to a thorough search for should?  Just asking.

It does seem a bit odd to have health concerns with food while putting near boiling water in a plastic container.  You can develop antibodies to bacteria but you can't develop antibodies to PVC.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

vndreamer wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I bought the plastic bucket at Lotte mart.
.

You need to ditch the plastic bucket, especially if your putting hot water in it.  Get stainless steel or mason jar type containers.  You should avoid plastic at all costs.

I wouldn't 'should' on you.

Why do you 'should' on me?

Just giving some health advice, up to you wheather you want to learn more.  But I suggest (pun intended), you might want to do some research on plastics and food, especially heated plastic.  Not sure why you are reading way to far into a posts?  You see, the plastic is already having an impact and disrupting your hormones.     Yes, I am joking.

vndreamer wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

vndreamer wrote:

You need to ditch the plastic bucket, especially if your putting hot water in it.  Get stainless steel or mason jar type containers.  You should avoid plastic at all costs.

I wouldn't 'should' on you.

Why do you 'should' on me?

Just giving some health advice, up to you wheather you want to learn more.  But I suggest (pun intended), you might want to do some research on plastics and food, especially heated plastic.  Not sure why you are reading way to far into a posts?  You see, the plastic is already having an impact and disrupting your hormones.     Yes, I am joking.

I'm actually worried about plastic containers.

There are many substances in plastic (e.g. plasticizers) that pass into the food.  Especially the plastic bags in which food is packed.

E.g. if you buy take away street food you get the hot soup in blastick bags as probably not really food safe.

Or sandwiches which are wrapped in newsprint with printing ink.

All this worries me almost more than the quality and hygiene of the food.

Andy Passenger wrote:

vndreamer wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I wouldn't 'should' on you.

Why do you 'should' on me?

Just giving some health advice, up to you wheather you want to learn more.  But I suggest (pun intended), you might want to do some research on plastics and food, especially heated plastic.  Not sure why you are reading way to far into a posts?  You see, the plastic is already having an impact and disrupting your hormones.     Yes, I am joking.

I'm actually worried about plastic containers.

There are many substances in plastic (e.g. plasticizers) that pass into the food.  Especially the plastic bags in which food is packed.

E.g. if you buy take away street food you get the hot soup in blastick bags as probably not really food safe.

Or sandwiches which are wrapped in newsprint with printing ink.

All this worries me almost more than the quality and hygiene of the food.

Good points, as usual, Andy.

Especially beware of the combination of fats and plastics.

In my case, I'm carrying around a lifetime supply of dioxins (the ultimate threat from metabolites of plastics) from my exposure to Agent Orange in the early 70's.

I've learned to live with Porphyria Cutanea Tarda and other associated maladies.

Meanwhile, the risk-benefit ratio confirms I'll be keeping my little red bucket.

Thanks to everyone for your "suggestions"...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

vndreamer wrote:

Just giving some health advice, up to you wheather you want to learn more.  But I suggest (pun intended), you might want to do some research on plastics and food, especially heated plastic.  Not sure why you are reading way to far into a posts?  You see, the plastic is already having an impact and disrupting your hormones.     Yes, I am joking.

I'm actually worried about plastic containers.

There are many substances in plastic (e.g. plasticizers) that pass into the food.  Especially the plastic bags in which food is packed.

E.g. if you buy take away street food you get the hot soup in blastick bags as probably not really food safe.

Or sandwiches which are wrapped in newsprint with printing ink.

All this worries me almost more than the quality and hygiene of the food.

Good points, as usual, Andy.

Especially beware of the combination of fats and plastics.

In my case, I'm carrying around a lifetime supply of dioxins (the ultimate threat from metabolites of plastics) from my exposure to Agent Orange in the early 70's.

I've learned to live with Porphyria Cutanea Tarda and other associated maladies.

Meanwhile, the risk-benefit ratio confirms I'll be keeping my little red bucket.

Thanks to everyone for your "suggestions"...

While we're on this subject: 

A lot of melamine tableware is also used here (e.g. by my wife's family).

Melamine releases formaldehyde and melamine when used with greasy foods and foods above 70°C.

My wife also didn't know that you can't use melamine dishes in the microwave.