Most families have sea croissant vegetables and melon cloths for cleaning dishes. However, studies have shown that these seaweeds may become bacterial temperature beds because they are warm, damp and rich in food slags, providing an ideal growth environment for microorganisms.
In 2017, Markus Egert, a microbiologist at Futewongen University in Germany, found that the kitchen sea cypress contains up to 362 types of microorganisms, with bacteria density in some areas reaching 54 billion per square centimeter, which is similar to the number of bacteria in human stool samples. The sea trunk is filled with holes, providing a suitable breathing environment for different bacterial colonies.
In 2022, the Lingchong You team, a synthetic biologist at Duke University, confirmed that holes of different sizes in the seaweed can help bacteria reproduce through computer simulations and experiments. Some bacteria are suitable for self-growth, while others need to symbiotic with others, so the sea tide structure can support the growth of multiple microorganisms.
Although bacteria are everywhere and not all bacteria are harmful, the key question is whether the bacteria in the seaweed can harm health. Egert's research found that five of the 10 most common bacteria in the seaweed are related to infections in patients with immune system. In addition, common cleaning methods such as microwave heating or hot water washing can kill some bacteria, which may allow more resistant strains to survive and multiply.
It is worth noting that Egert's study did not find any bacteria related to food poisoning or serious disease. According to statistics, 90% of hospitalized foodborne diseases are from five pathogens (such as Esperin, Salmonella and Trichoderma), but these pathogens are rare in the sea. He noted that healthy adults are not usually affected by bacteria in the sea tract, but there may be risks for those with weaker immunity, such as the elderly or children.
In 2017, Jennifer Quinlan, a food safety expert at Vio Agriculture University in Pleia, analyzed the sea of kitchens in 100 families in Philadelphia and found that only 1-2% of the sea contains bacteria related to food poisoning, and the quantity is very small. In 2022, Solveig Langsrud, a Norwegian food research agency, compared the bacteria types in seaweed and dishwashing brushes, and found that the two mainly contain harmless bacteria, but the amount of bacteria in the brush is obviously smaller.
Jennifer Quinlan said that most bacteria on the seaweed do not cause disease, but may cause distaste. However, if the sea squirts raw meat or chicken juice, it may contain pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella. Langsrud's research found that Sandella can reproduce in large quantities in the seaweed, but cannot survive on the brush, probably because the brush is easier to dry and reduce the chance of pathogen growth.
Experts suggest that it is better to use a dishwashing brush instead, because the brush is easier to keep dry and less likely to breed bacteria. In addition, no matter what cleaning tool is used, it should be changed regularly to reduce potential risks.