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Common practices and questions about hot water scalding tableware
When dining out, have you ever had the experience of a waiter placing the cutlery in front of you, and you quickly pick up the boiling water and take a "hot bath" of the cutlery?
This behavior has become so common in our lives that it seems to have become an indispensable pre-dinner ritual.
However, have you ever wondered, "Is it necessary to scald dishes with boiling water?" ”
Discover the importance of tableware hygiene
When it comes to tableware hygiene, we must first understand the types of microorganisms that may be present on tableware and the potential threats they may pose to human health.
Common bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, if they enter the human body, may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and other symptoms, and in severe cases, they may even be life-threatening. Therefore, the importance of tableware disinfection is self-evident.
However, to effectively destroy these bacteria, hot water immersion alone may not be enough. Scientific studies have shown that in order to completely kill E. coli, the conditions required are above 75°C and the duration is 1 minute.
In the case of Salmonella, if you want to destroy it, you need to heat it at 100°C or 70°C for 5 minutes, and if the temperature is only 60°C, it will take 15 minutes.
These data make people wonder, can the "hot baths" we carry out in restaurants really achieve the effect of disinfection?
Scientific experiments and research development
A municipal consumer protection committee once conducted an experiment, they will artificially pollute the stainless steel tableware, self-sterilizing tableware, and centralized disinfection tableware of the restaurant, and then use hot water at different temperatures to blanch for different times to compare the bacterial residue on the tableware.
The experimental results showed that if the tableware was scalded with water at 100°C for more than 30 seconds, the effect on removing bacteria on the tableware was quite obvious; However, if you use water below 60°C to rinse the dishes, the effect is very weak.
In addition to this, we also need to consider another factor, and that is the material of the cutlery. Different materials of tableware have different sensitivities to hot water, for example, plastic and metal cutlery may have different disinfection effects under the same conditions.
In addition, some countries and regions have different methods of disinfection of tableware, for example, Japan has the habit of wiping tableware with hot towels, whether this method is more effective than hot water soaking, is also worth exploring.
On this issue, it is not only the actual disinfection effect, but more importantly, the psychological impact of hot water on the tableware.
Many people perform this ritual more as a psychological comfort, a relief from their distrust of the restaurant's hygienic environment. This psychological effect is sometimes even more important than the actual disinfection effect.
Improve the hygiene and safety of catering
When eating out, it is very important to choose a restaurant and identify the hygiene of the utensils. We can observe the overall hygiene of the restaurant, such as whether the floor is clean, whether the waiters are wearing masks, etc.
The appearance of the cutlery can also give us some clues, if there are obvious stains or wear on the cutlery, then its hygiene may be questionable.
In the home environment, we can ensure the hygiene of the tableware through the correct cleaning and disinfection methods.
For example, we can use food-grade disinfectant for cleaning or dishwasher for high-temperature sterilization. These methods may be more effective at killing bacteria than hot water immersion.
The choice of material for cutlery is also a matter worth considering, and some eco-friendly and easy-to-clean and disinfect cutlery materials, such as stainless steel and ceramic, may be a better choice.
Not only are they durable, but they also do not produce harmful substances at high temperatures, making them safer and healthier.
Balancing psychological comfort with scientific practice
"Is it necessary to scald dishes with boiling water?" Actually, there is no absolute answer to this question. The effect of hot water scalding tableware not only has its actual disinfection effect, but also its comforting effect on our psychology.
We can't deny that for some microorganisms, hot water immersion can indeed play a certain role in disinfection. But at the same time, it's important to understand that this approach is not a substitute for scientific cleaning and disinfection methods.
We need to find a balance on this issue. On the one hand, we can continue this habit of hot water soaking to provide a kind of comfort to our psyche.
On the other hand, we also need to improve our awareness of hygiene protection, learn and practice scientific cleaning and disinfection methods. In this way, we can not only protect our physical health, but also give us more peace of mind.
Whether we're eating out or at home, we all need to pay attention to our food hygiene. Only then can we truly enjoy the joy that food brings us without worrying about health problems.
Scalding tableware with boiling water is just a way for us to protect our health, and more importantly, we must have a scientific and healthy lifestyle.
What experiences and insights would you like to share? Feel free to leave a message in the comment area!