Is “boiling tableware with boiling water” just a ritual? Is it necessary? Here comes the truth!

When dining out, many people will follow the pre-meal ritual of "boiling tableware with hot water", believing that this can disinfect and sterilize the tableware and make it more hygienic. If you don't use hot water to blanch the tableware before using it, you will always feel uneasy. Can boiling tableware with hot water really disinfect and sterilize the tableware? How can you make the tableware cleaner?

Today we will talk about tableware hygiene, and finally we will also popularize the methods of disinfecting tableware at home and the hygiene and safety precautions. Can hot water sterilize tableware?

It has some effect but not much and is difficult to achieve.

Modern people are very busy and eat out more often, so they will inevitably pay more attention to the hygiene of restaurant tableware. However, many restaurants and canteens on the market often detect E. coli in their tableware, which makes people more insistent on using hot water to scald tableware before meals.

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According to the regulations of "GB 14934-2016 Disinfected Tableware and Drinkware", the main microbial detection items in tableware are Escherichia coli and Salmonella, both of which must not be detected.

1

Escherichia coli

E. coli is used as an important indicator to determine whether food is contaminated by feces, reflecting the possibility of food being contaminated by human or animal intestinal bacteria and the degree of contamination.

When food is seriously contaminated with coliform bacteria, the chance of intestinal pathogens (such as Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus and enterovirus) contamination increases, which is potentially dangerous to humans and animals. Using tableware contaminated with pathogenic E. coli may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, blood in the stool, etc. [2] If you want to kill E. coli, you need to meet the following conditions: the temperature must be above 75°C and the time must be 1 minute to kill it.

2

salmonella

If infected, symptoms range from abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting to death. However, Salmonella is not heat-resistant and will die immediately if heated at 100°C. If the heating temperature is too low, the heating time needs to be extended. When the temperature is 70°C, it needs to be heated for 5 minutes. If it is only 60°C, it will take 15 minutes to kill the Salmonella. [3]

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When we dine in a restaurant, the water provided by the waiter may not be boiling water. In order to avoid scalding consumers, it may be less than 60 degrees Celsius. When used to wash tableware, the temperature will drop further, which will not play a role in disinfection and sterilization.

In 2022, Wenzhou Consumer Protection Committee used stainless steel tableware, self-disinfecting tableware, and centralized disinfected tableware in restaurants as experimental subjects. After artificially contaminating them, they tested for coliform group and Salmonella, and compared the bacterial residues in the tableware after being washed in hot water at different temperatures and for different times.

The results showed that if the tableware was scalded with water at 100°C for more than 30 seconds, it was quite effective in removing bacteria from the tableware; but if the tableware was scalded with water below 60°C, the effect was very weak. [4]

So, regarding the use of hot water to scald tableware. If it can be guaranteed that the hot water is just boiled at 100℃, scalding the tableware for 30 seconds will still have some effect and can effectively remove some bacteria. However, in most cases, the water in restaurants does not meet this temperature, and the rinsing time is not enough, so it is almost useless.

In summary, there is no harm in scalding the tableware with hot water when dining out, but don't expect it to have a significant disinfection and sterilization effect. Even if it is not hot, there will be no food safety issues. If the water is not hot enough and the time is not long enough, scalding the tableware with boiling water is basically useless. But if you want to eat safely and with peace of mind, you still have to choose a clean and hygienic restaurant.

How to ensure food hygiene when dining out?

Compared to whether washing dishes with hot water can disinfect them, some friends may be more concerned about how to ensure food safety when dining out. Here are 3 suggestions for you.

1

Choose a formal restaurant

The hygiene conditions in formal restaurants are more guaranteed, and the tableware hygiene pass rate is higher.

2

Bring your own tableware

If you need to eat out every day and are worried about the hygiene of the restaurant's tableware, it is better to bring your own tableware.

3

Identify whether disinfected tableware is qualified

Many restaurants’ tableware is packaged. Before using, carefully check whether the plastic film is clean and intact, and whether the manufacturer’s address, contact number, and shelf life are clearly marked on the packaging. Check whether the surface of the tableware is smooth and free of attachments, impurities, oil stains, foam, and odor. [5]

How to ensure the hygiene of your own tableware?

We can't just worry about the hygiene of tableware in restaurants outside, we also need to pay attention to the hygiene of tableware and utensils in our own kitchens. There are mainly 5 points.

1

Disinfect tableware regularly

Disinfect and sterilize bowls, plates, spoons, etc. regularly, for example, by boiling, steaming, or using a sterilizer. If using steam or boiling, keep them in the steam or boiling water for more than 10 minutes; if using an infrared sterilizer, use it according to the instructions and generally keep the sterilizer open for more than 10 minutes. [6]

2

Replace chopsticks regularly

Most families use bamboo or wooden chopsticks. If the environment is humid and they are not cleaned thoroughly, they will easily breed bacteria and even become moldy, which will endanger health if used for a long time.

In 2020, the Shanghai Consumer Protection Committee collected 200 pairs of used chopsticks from ordinary households and 660 pairs of new chopsticks, including five types of chopsticks: wood, bamboo, stainless steel, melamine, and alloy, and tested them. [7]

The results showed that among the chopsticks made of these materials, those that had been used for more than six months were more likely to become moldy, with the number of mold being more than 30% higher than that of new chopsticks or chopsticks that had been used for three months. The structure of wooden and bamboo chopsticks was loose, and the grooves and fine lines on the surface easily harbored bacteria, with the mold count being more than seven times that of stainless steel, alloy, and melamine chopsticks.

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Therefore, to ensure that chopsticks are clean and hygienic, first of all, they should be washed carefully after each meal; secondly, they should be dried before being put into the cupboard, and the cupboard should be kept dry. Chopsticks should also be disinfected regularly. Bamboo and wooden chopsticks can be regularly boiled in boiling water for 20 minutes or replaced every 6 months.

However, wooden chopsticks are easily deformed after high temperature cooking, which may affect their use. If you mind, you can also choose alloy chopsticks and stainless steel chopsticks, but stainless steel chopsticks are too slippery to pick up food and may burn your mouth when eating hot pot.

1

Place the bowl face down after washing

After washing the dishes, there will inevitably be residual dishwashing water in them, so it is best to place the bowl upside down.

2

Hang cutting boards to dry

When using a cutting board, you should first separate raw and cooked food. Do not use the same cutting board or the same side to cut raw meat and vegetables to avoid cross contamination. Secondly, hang the cutting board to dry in time after use to avoid mold.

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Regarding the cleaning of cutting boards, a study compared the cleaning effects of different cleaning methods on cutting boards of different materials that were contaminated with E. coli. The results showed that, regardless of the material of the cutting board, the best cleaning rate was achieved by using 50°C hot water; wet wiping and detergent were the second best; and dry wiping was the worst. [8]

Therefore, when cleaning the cutting board, it is recommended to rinse it with hot water above 50°C instead of just wiping it dry.

3

Don't use a dish cloth to clean dishes

Some people have the habit of wiping dishes with dishcloths after washing them, but it is best not to do this. Because dishcloths are really not clean. The White Paper on China's Household Kitchen Hygiene Survey shows that the total number of bacteria on a single dishcloth collected through the activity is as high as 500 billion. The longer it is used, the more bacteria there are. Among them, there are 19 conditional pathogens including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Salmonella, etc.

Therefore, in order to ensure hygiene and safety, the dishcloth must be washed and dried after use, and regularly boiled in boiling water for more than 10 minutes, and new rags should be replaced frequently.

Summarize

The ritual of "scalding tableware with hot water" can be done. If you want to sterilize the tableware, you need 100℃ water and keep rinsing for more than 30 seconds, otherwise it will not work. But being able to wash away the dust on the surface is also a psychological comfort and makes it comfortable to use. In addition, don't just focus on the tableware outside, you also have to pay attention to the hygiene of your own kitchen.

References

[1] Shi Benyun. More than 70% of consumers are dissatisfied with the hygienic conditions of centralized tableware disinfection[N]. China Consumer News, 2021-12-21(004). DOI:10.28867/n.cnki.nxfzb.2021.002589.

[2] Sun Changhao. Nutrition and Food Hygiene. 8th edition. People's Medical Publishing House. 2018

[3] Wang Xueshuo, Cui Shenghui, Xing Shuxia, Ding Hong. Hazard analysis, contamination investigation and prevention of Salmonella in catering food[J]. Chinese Pharmaceutical Affairs, 2013, 27(09): 974-979. DOI: 10.16153/j.1002-7777.2013.09.006.

[4]http://wzmsa.wenzhou.gov.cn/art/2022/12/7/art_1370840_58922297.html

[5] GB 14934-2016 National Food Safety Standard Disinfection of Tableware and Drinkware

[6] GB 31654-2021 National Food Safety Standard General Hygiene Specification for Catering Services

[7]https://315.sh.cn/html/bjsy/2020/10/26/0952fdd4-4d2d-42d8-a253-90f5639d376a.shtml

[8] Chen Dijun, Jiang Yao, Guan Yuwei, et al. Comparison of cleaning effects of different cleaning methods on cutting boards made of three materials after Escherichia coli contamination[J]. Shanxi Chemical Industry, 2023, 43(04): 19-21. DOI: 10.16525/j.cnki.cn14-1109/tq.2023.04.006.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Bai Li

Editor: Bai Li