Disinfected tableware refers to tableware that has been sterilized by special methods to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms. The utensils we use when dining at a restaurant are generally referred to as disinfected and can be used with confidence. But according to the investigation by reporters, the fact is not like that. Many restaurants, in order to save costs, usually only use a cloth to dry after washing in water and call it disinfected.

However, the continuous exposure of hygiene hazards in disinfected tableware across the country has raised concerns among many citizens. Poor disinfection of tableware can pose a threat to food and beverage safety, including pathogenic bacteria and mold.

How should we distinguish whether the disinfected tableware we use is clean when dining out?

1. It is necessary to check whether the packaging film of disinfected tableware is labeled with the name, address, contact phone number, disinfection date, and shelf life of the centralized disinfection unit as required. Article 58 of the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that disinfected tableware and drinking utensils shall be labeled with the unit name, address, disinfection date, and expiration date on independent packaging.

2. Check whether there are water stains and obvious pollutants on the surface of the disinfected tableware inside the packaging. According to the "Hygiene Standards for Disinfection of Food (Drinking) Utensils", food (drinking) utensils that are physically disinfected must have a smooth surface, no oil stains, and no water stains; Food (drinking) utensils that undergo chemical disinfection must be free of insoluble attachments. Finally, look through the light to see if there are impurities, black spots, and oil stains on the plastic packaging film. According to the "Hygiene Supervision Work Standards for Centralized Disinfection Service Units of Tableware and Drinking Utensils", the packaging film of tableware and drinking utensils should be food grade, free of impurities, black spots, and oil stains.

3. After opening the packaging film, smell the tableware first to see if there is any odor, such as the smell of detergent or disinfectant, or the sour smell of food residue. According to the "Hygiene Standards for Disinfection of Food (Drinking) Utensils", disinfected food (drinking) utensils must be odorless. Touch again to see if the unpacked tableware is sticky. If there is oil residue on the tableware, it will have a sticky feeling. After disinfection, qualified tableware should feel dry and free of water.

At the same time, corresponding quality inspection units and catering establishments should also strengthen the sampling and quality inspection of tableware hygiene to ensure the hygiene and safety of catering. The CSY-ATP tableware cleanliness tester produced by Shenzhen Fenxi Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. uses ATP reagents such as luciferin luciferase to react with the tested sample to generate photons. The tableware cleanliness tester captures and detects the photoelectric signal. Due to the functional relationship between the number of bacteria and other microorganisms in the tested sample and the ATP value, as well as the ATP value and luminescence value, the bacterial and other microbial content in the tested sample can be obtained by detecting the luminescence value.

The CSY-ATP tableware cleanliness tester can be used for key control point disinfection result detection such as food surface microbial detection, hand hygiene detection, catering utensil cleanliness detection, food processing utensil, and environmental work platform real-time evaluation. It meets the requirements of food and drug supervision departments, health supervision departments, food processing industry, catering service industry, catering, large enterprise canteens, school canteens, large-scale event support departments and other food safety related fields for bacterial and surface detection.