Serving chopsticks and spoons to keep food more hygienic

This is the 3457th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

When friends and family gather for a meal, they always prepare a few more dishes to liven up the atmosphere or create a good impression. However, after feasting, it is inevitable that many of the delicacies will be left uneaten, which is a dilemma. Wasting food is obviously unethical and does not conform to the call of the "Clean Plate Campaign". Packing and recycling also makes people consider the problem of saliva residue on the chopsticks and spoons that are intertwined at the table, which may bring health risks.

It is not uncommon to prepare too much food. In response to this phenomenon, in addition to preparing meals in reasonable quantities according to the diners' appetite, using public chopsticks and spoons is also a good way. If someone at the same table gets sick, the saliva containing pathogens will greatly increase the chance of the disease being "spread by word of mouth." Adults have good physical fitness and strong resistance, and the probability of getting sick is low, but the elderly and children dining at the same table are very likely to be infected. Therefore, for the sake of the health of those around you, using public chopsticks and spoons is a manifestation of courtesy, friendship, civilization and harmony.

Even when healthy people eat together, their saliva contains a large number of bacteria, which normally will not make people sick, but will accelerate the spoilage of food. Using public chopsticks and spoons can ensure that dishes are not contaminated by various saliva, and avoid cross-contamination of food when people frequently take food. In this way, diners can safely pack up the unfinished food and take it home, store it in the refrigerator, and save it for next time, thus forming a good habit of environmental protection and saving.

Therefore, using public chopsticks and spoons can effectively avoid saliva contamination during dining, which not only prevents the spread of viruses and bacteria, but also helps preserve food and further reduces food waste.

One more pair of serving chopsticks and one more meal sharing means one more health protection. Using serving spoons and serving chopsticks benefits others and yourself, protects your health, and makes everyone civilized.

Author: Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Jenny Zhu