PSA: You Should Stop Using The Salt And Pepper Shakers At Restaurants For A Scary Reason

We have bad news for salt-aholics. You may want to rethink seasoning your food when you’re eating out. According to a 2010 study conducted by ABC News, the salt and pepper shakers on restaurant tables are riddled with germs and bacteria. How much bacteria, you ask? Are you sure you want to know?

After collecting germ samples from 12 different restaurants in three different states, researchers at the University of Arizona found tens of thousands of organisms lingering on restaurant salt and pepper shakers. Nasty.

When you think about it, the grossness makes sense. Think about how many people touch salt and pepper shakers daily, and then think about how often they get cleaned. Sure, waitresses might wipe them down after a shift. But how often do the shakers get emptied out, sanitized, and refilled with fresh salt and pepper? Judging by the researchers’ findings, not often enough.

“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,” Jonas Sickler, Director of Operations at ConsumerSafety.org, told Reader’s Digest when speaking about the study. “While some restaurants collect, refill, and wipe down shakers, they are rarely properly emptied and sanitized.”

Although the salt shaker collects its fair share of bacteria on a daily basis, the pepper shaker is the biggest germ magnet. The study found that pepper shakers harbor an average of 11,600 organisms.

Sickler noted to Reader’s Digest that salt and pepper shakers may also be an allergy hazard. They’re often dropped in food or handled by customers with certain food remnants on their fingers, potentially setting someone with certain food allergies up for disaster.

But if it’s any consolation, salt and pepper shakers are sterile compared to restaurant menus. The University of Arizona researchers found a whopping 185,000 bacteria count on the menus tested. That’s about 100 times more bacteria than found on your average toilet seat.

The experts noted that most of the bacteria found on the restaurant items tested are harmless. However, it may be in your best interest to wash your hands before you dive into your meal.