If You Spot This Buffet Utensil Red Flag, Get Out Fast

At their finest, buffets are the ultimate gastronomic indulgence. On the other hand, you or someone you know probably has at least one buffet horror story about poor quality food or people acting in an unsavory manner. Love them or loathe them, if you find yourself at a buffet, you need to pay attention to red flags that can signal a potentially dangerous health situation. One red flag that gets overlooked too often relates to the utensils, or lack thereof. If every dish does not have its own serving utensil, think twice about eating there.

The larger the buffet is, the more serving utensils it requires. While that seems like something you might take for granted, not all buffet restaurants put in the effort to make this happen. This is a buffet red flag that should make you turn around. Sometimes utensils may get misplaced, and you may find other customers doubling up by using the same tongs or serving spoons for more than one dish. That can cause a serious case of cross-contamination.

It's important to stay mindful of cross-contamination at a buffet, both in terms of bacteria and allergens. For instance, imagine if someone were to use the same tongs for sushi and then for salad. Not only could there be a transfer of potentially dangerous bacteria from the raw food, but anyone with a seafood allergy would then be at risk just from eating salad. Additionally, vegan diners could be exposed to seafood and other non-vegan contaminants.

A lack of proper utensils can cause even more risks at a buffet than seem obvious at first. The fewer utensils there are, the more frequently people will handle them, increasing the likelihood of exposure to pathogens like salmonella and norovirus. Then, if you touch your face or use your fingers to eat something off your plate, your chances of getting sick increase even more.

There's also a risk that, if utensils aren't readily available, some diners will use their hands to serve themselves. This is especially true for smaller food items, or things that are normally eaten by hand. Without clearly placed utensils, some people will casually pick up a chicken wing with their fingers and put it on their plate, potentially touching other food in the process.

To help mitigate cross-contamination, buffet employees should be frequently swapping these utensils for new, clean ones. Utensils should also have a place to rest that is not in the food itself, such as on a spoon rest or plate adjacent to the food items. If you're at a buffet that does provide the proper amount of utensils, that's one less thing to worry about. Now you just need to make sure you avoid these buffet mistakes, and you can enjoy your meal.