Is it necessary to boil dishes and chopsticks with boiling water? Here comes the truth!

Whenever you go out to eat, do you:

I like to put chopsticks in a teacup and stir them, then pour tea or boiling water over them, thinking that this will disinfect them. In fact, you may have been washing them wrong... Boiling tableware with boiling water will not kill bacteria at all?

Today, Yue Miaojun solemnly tells you:

It is difficult to achieve the sterilization standard by only using boiling water/tea for 4 or 5 seconds on dishes and chopsticks, which is equivalent to giving them a hot bath . PS: The correct method for sterilizing tableware is at the end of the article, please continue reading.

Original by About Miao Jun

So, is it unnecessary to scald the tableware when eating out? Do the tableware need to be disinfected?

In a word: Yes, because they are really not very clean

Take chopsticks as an example. Yue Miaojun came across an experiment that simply tested the surface microorganisms of the chopsticks we usually use. The results were shocking↓

The chopsticks look clean on the surface, but a large number of white and yellow bacteria can be detected!

Original by About Miao Jun

Chopsticks that have been used for more than half a year are terribly dirty. The highest bacteria detected in bamboo chopsticks is 5.5 million CFU/pair, which is seriously exceeded.

PS: CFU refers to colony forming unit, which is a unit for calculating the number of bacteria or molds.

In addition to mold, chopsticks may also become a breeding ground for E. coli and Salmonella.

When you open and close your mouth, you may eat delicious food, but you may also bring pathogens into your body...

The most outrageous thing is that the presence of coliform bacteria can be detected on chopsticks. The more of these bacteria there are, the more likely it is that the food and tableware are contaminated by feces !

When you use tableware contaminated with pathogenic E. coli, you will not only suffer psychological torture, but may also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and bloody stools.

Simply put, a pair of dirty chopsticks allows you to eat indirectly, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Original by About Miao Jun

What’s even more frightening is that the gaps between wooden chopsticks can easily retain food residues , and if they are not dried, they can easily breed aflatoxin. (Under normal circumstances, chopsticks will not grow aflatoxin on their own.)

It is a highly toxic substance that can damage liver tissue and can cause cancer or even death in severe cases.

So, it’s really unsafe if the dishes and chopsticks are not disinfected.

Original by About Miao Jun

What is the correct way to disinfect? ​​Here is it↓

Seeing this, you may have asked yourself eight hundred times:

Miaomiao, how can we eliminate the bacteria on chopsticks?

To "kill" common bacteria that cause intestinal diseases, such as E. coli and Salmonella, you need to have both of these conditions👇

Only in this way is it possible to kill or inactivate some bacteria and microorganisms.
It is difficult to achieve this condition by just boiling water. Perhaps only when sterilizing dishes at home can you refer to this method - use boiling water to boil for more than 10 minutes.

So, when you eat out, you can’t prevent bacteria on the tableware? Here are a few tricks that are better than scalding chopsticks:

1 Use sterilized dishes and chopsticks that come in packaging

Here is a tip for you: carefully check the outer packaging of sterilized tableware to see if it is clean and complete? Is there a manufacturer?

If all of them are qualified, it will be more reliable.

2. Choose disposable tableware

If you are worried, choose disposable dishes and chopsticks, which are usually cleaner than reusable ones.

But you should also pay attention to the outer packaging: whether there is a manufacturer, a clear production date and a shelf life. The shelf life of disposable wooden chopsticks and disposable bamboo chopsticks should generally not exceed 6 months.

3 Ultimate Solution

The most hygienic and environmentally friendly way is to bring your own tableware when eating!

After reading this, would you choose to bring your own chopsticks or use boiling water to sterilize tableware? Do you have any tips for sterilizing dishes when you go out that you can share with us? See you in the comments section!

References

[1] Zhao Jindan, Zhang Yabing, Zhang Qingling. Study on the microbial contamination status of chopstick surface and the disinfection effect of chopstick disinfection machine [J]. Light Industry Standards and Quality, 2019, (02): 96-99. DOI: 10.19541/j.cnki.issn1004-4108.2019.02.029

[2] Shen Jin, Sun Huihui, Zhu Renyi, et al. Study on the microbial contamination status of household tableware [J]. Journal of Environmental Health, 2014, 4(02): 174-177. DOI: 10.13421/j.cnki.hjwsxzz.2014.02.004 [3] GB 14934-2016 National Food Safety Standard for Disinfection of Tableware (Drinking Utensils)