Often true, but not always.

For example: Buying meat in India may make you violently ill. Drinking tap water in Mexico is guaranteed to do the trick. While for a colleague of mine (who is used to it): no problem at all.

That said, I generally agree with the fact that health hysteria is totally over the top.

I just returned from Peru where I ate at places, which would be shut down in a heartbeat here (no ginnypigs running through the kitchen allowed, let alone cooking on open fire) with not even a stomach upset whatsoever.

I think the key is just plain old common sense.

Heh, when I went to Peru (Macchu Picchu, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited), they ate Guinea Pigs (called "cuy" locally).

Odd they left them around the kitchen.

Agree with your recommendations. Also, watch out for ice cubes... often people make the mistake of buying bottled water... and then putting ice cubes made of tap water.