Cootie-free APEC Eating Zones in Lima

The final week of the APEC summit begins next Monday, and that means thousands of hungry delegates and heads of state will be seeking good places to eat in Lima.

Peru’s capital city may be home to the best cusine in South America, but not all its restaurants are up to par. In fact, some eateries violate sanitation codes and use contaminated tap water (with e coli) to wash their produce.  (Visitors cannot drink the tap water in Lima because it contains foul bacteria and heavy metals; many locals have adjusted to it, however.)

To prevent epic outbreaks of diarrhea among delegates, APEC and Peru’s Ministry of Health have instituted a system by which restaurants that meet sanitation standards receive an official seal of approval.

Here is the sign you’ll see outside restaurants that meet the codes:

No cooties here!

I think the signs are useful and necessary. They make it easy for visitors to choose safe restaurants and avoid getting ill in Lima.

My only complaint is that they look scary/clinical, like a notice on box of sterilized hospital implements. They don’t exactly stimulate my appetite.

If someone had left the design to me, I’d have used a photo of a chubby ekeko rubbing his belly and giving a thumb’s up sign, under the headine: “Eat  here!”