Dining in the wake of Covid-19: It's high time we raised hygiene standards

SINGAPORE - As Singapore prepares to resume dining in - Phase 2 post-circuit breaker allows up to five people a table, and this could happen before the end of June - it is time to think about how we can improve hygiene standards.

The problem lies in the Asian habit of using the cutlery you eat with to also take food from the communal dish - unlike in Western cultures, where serving spoons or forks are always used. It has happened to me. So unless it becomes so commonplace that it comes naturally to us to adeptly switch between chopsticks, I'm not in favour of this.

How about dining at home, where Grandma may pick out a choice morsel and put it in Ah Boy's bowl? The argument can be made that people living together have so many points of contact that it will not matter.Then, there are some Asian cultures that favour eating with hands, which is considered unhygienic by others.Otherwise, eating with your hands - after they are washed with soap and water, of course - does make food taste better.

At the hotel's buffets, staff were stationed at the counters to serve dishes, to reduce diners' contact with food.Genting Cruise Lines, which is anticipating resuming its services in July or August, has announced that buffets - previously a main attraction of cruises - will be replaced with table service.

Especially in China, one would hear stories of how restaurants recycle leftover broths to be served to the next unsuspecting customer. And it was common to see diners fishing food out of the pot with the chopsticks they ate with.

I wonder whether anybody ever thought about sneeze guards? 🤔

Don't lump it as an Asian culture. Not all communities in Asia do this. Say it as it is. If it's done by the Chinese community say it. In fact if it's done only by people close to the writer's circle. Also say it. Stop generalising like as if the writer is representative of all.

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