It is common knowledge that the menu is the dirtiest item on a restaurant table – the average menu plays host to around 185,000 bacterial organisms, often considered to be dirtier than the bathroom. However, according to a 2010 study, salt and pepper shakers are the second dirtiest item in a restaurant, with the small glass surface holding over 11,800 bacteria.
“Most salt and pepper shakers are only wiped down if they appear dirty, and even then, only with a damp cloth that waiters keep in their pockets,” explained Jonas Sickler, director of ConsumerSafety.org. “While some restaurants collect, refill, and wipe down shakers, they are rarely properly emptied and sanitised.”
To make matters worse, salt and pepper shakers are often the first things given to unruly children by frustrated parents desperate to occupy their charges.
“This means they will be covered in whatever that is on the toddler’s fingers, which will help germs adhere to the glass surfaces even better,” Sickler said. “Even people who don’t intend to season their food will move them around on the table.”
However, salt shakers pale in comparison to the human mouth, which houses an impressive six billion bacteria.
