What are some of the germiest items in a restaurant?

Who doesn’t like to eat out and enjoy meals with family or friends?  Many of us now bring hand sanitizer to restaurants when eating out and think we have done our “germ prevention”.  But did you know that there are many items in restaurants full of germs?  What are these items and what steps can you take to enjoy eating out without risking getting ill?  WebMD has a great article outlining these items, Germiest Things in Restaurants .  

• Menus:  Many times, I get to a restaurant and pull out my hand sanitizer, clean my hands, and then open the menu.  But WebMD notes some of the germiest items in a restaurant can be the menu.  Ever get a paper menu?  Paper menus are less germy than the plastic menus.       

Suggestion:  Look at the menu and then wash or sanitize your hands, especially before enjoying some finger foods like many appetizers.  (See:  Healthy hints for choosing restaurant appetizers.)  

  

• Touch screens:  So many places now have touch screens that some say make it easier to order.  My daughter can flip through these screens with ease but others like me, not so much.  Researchers at London Metropolitan University tested these touch screens for germs and they found traces of staph and E. Faecalis (poop germs) on some screens.    

Suggestion:  If you can order from a person rather than a touch screen, do so.  If touch screens are the only option, order and wash your hands or use some hand sanitizer before you eat your food.

•       Ice:  Who doesn’t like their cold drinks with some ice?  Studies of ice from restaurants and some bars found different infectious bacteria.  Luckily, levels of bacteria were low and not likely to cause infections. 

•        Lemon slices:  I always order lemon slices for my ice tea.  But these also can be harbingers of germs.  In some tests about 70% of the lemon slices had some germs on them.  Good that our acidic stomachs kill off or neutralize most of these germs. 

Suggestion:  If you can, watch to see if the server uses tongs or wears gloves when adding lemon slices to your drink.  People with diabetes, kidney failure or those on chemotherapy may want to skip the lemon slices. 

•       Buffets/Salad Bars:  I love buffets as you can get whatever you want and there are so many choices.  But WebMD notes, all-you-can-eat buffets may also come with all-you-can-get germs.  How many times have the serving utensils been held by different people?  Are there sneeze guards on the buffet?  Is hot food kept hot and cold food kept cold? 

Suggestion:  Want seconds?  Get a new, clean plate.  Use the utensil with the food item and not the same utensil for different foods.  Once back to your seat, sanitize your hands before you eat.

•        Cafeteria Trays:  These are so convenient for carrying your food to your table.  But studies have found these trays can be loaded with up to 200 different germs.  WebMD says this is more germs than a gym mat and even bathrooms.  Surprising to me as these trays are often washed in hot water. 

Suggestion:  Once you carry your food items to the table, ditch the tray.  Don’t open your packet of silverware and rest it on the tray.  Don’t unwrap food items and then put food items on the tray.  I open the silverware and rest it on a napkin.  I unwrap the food item and lay it on the open wrapper, not the tray. 

•        Condiments:  How often do you get to a restaurant, sanitize your hands, then look at the menu?  Or you look at the menu, order your food and then sanitize your hands, feeling good about yourself.  The food comes and you reach for the catsup, or the mustard, or the salt/pepper.  Studies have found that these also can be contaminated with the poop bacteria like E.coli and others.

Suggestion:  Enjoy your condiments, use them on your food and then hand sanitize.  

•       Table surfaces:  We have all seen the wait staff cleaning tables.  I have seen wait staff clean up a spill on the floor and then wipe the table and seats with the same cloth.  Luckily, more often now I see wait staff spray the tabletop with a disinfectant and then wipe it. 

Suggestion:  In restaurants without table cloths, If the silverware is wrapped in a napkin, set the silverware on the napkin and not on the table.  I ask for extra napkins so my silverware can always rest on a napkin and not the bare table. 

Conclusion:  Yes, there are germs in restaurants and fast-food establishments.  Washing your hands before you eat is helpful, but one needs to be a little more aware of where the germs are lurking and take some common-sense precautions.  I enjoy eating out, don’t you?  One of my daughters carries hand sanitizer with her wherever she goes.  When I eat out with her, I know there will be hand sanitizer.  I carry hand sanitizer as well and use it often when eating out.  Enjoy your meals out, just bring along some hand sanitizer and keep the germs at bay.

Sources:  Germiest Things in Restaurants , Healthy hints for choosing restaurant appetizers , Researchers   Image Sources: Touchscreen,   Menu (Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik) , Condiments , Yikes  germs in restaurants