We all know that the dirtiest items in a
restaurant are the menus, harboring 100 times more germs than what you’d
find on a toilet seat. However, we bet you weren’t aware that the
second dirtiest item in a restaurant is also found right on your table –
the pepper shaker.
Before you reach over to add some delicious pepper to your food, think about how many people have touched the shaker before you. Does it look clean? Is it sticky? Unfortunately for us, it’s not uncommon for restaurants to forget to clean each individual shaker. This goes for the salt, sugar, and cheese shakers, but the pepper shaker just happens to beat them in the germ-harboring contest. According to an ABC News study, on average, a pepper shaker contains 11,600 types of bacteria.
Jonas Sickler, Director of Operations at
ConsumerSafety.org states that “most salt and pepper shakers are only
wiped down if they appear dirty, and even then, only with a damp cloth
that bussers keep in their pockets. Another gross fact to consider is
that parents, eager to occupy their little ones, will often let toddlers
play with the salt and pepper during their meal. This means they will
be covered in drool, and whatever else that is on the toddler’s fingers,
which will help germs adhere to the glass surfaces even better.”
Besides the bacteria, shakers can also be
allergy hazards. For example, shakers can accidentally be dropped or
dipped into your meal while seasoning. If the previous diner at the
table contaminated the pepper shaker with their shrimp dish, and you
have a serious shellfish allergy, you could be putting yourself at
severe risk by using it.
Therefore, if you like your food hot, you should ask the chef to spice
up your dish in the kitchen. As for the salt, ignore it, and take the
opportunity to cut back on your sodium – your body will thank you for
it.
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