Disposable chopsticks are bleached and are neither hygienic nor environmentally friendly. If used frequently, the sulfur dioxide and sulfites left on the chopsticks may have a certain impact on the liver. But are chopsticks taken from a disinfector necessarily safer?
The disinfection process for bowls and chopsticks in a regular restaurant is to first wash them with disinfectant (one rough wash, one fine wash, and one rinse), and then put them in a disinfection machine for more than 15 minutes to be effective. However, the washing and disinfection times in many restaurants do not meet the standards, so disinfected chopsticks are not necessarily cleaner.
If you find that the color of the tips of the chopsticks provided by the restaurant is particularly dark, or even has spots, it is likely that the restaurant did not properly disinfect the chopsticks, causing them to breed aflatoxin. After use, it may lead to aflatoxin poisoning symptoms such as stomach discomfort, bloating, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
Theoretically, it is recommended that you best bring your own pair of folding chopsticks, or cleaning supplies such as disinfectant wet wipes or alcohol cotton balls, to "manually disinfect" the disinfected chopsticks before eating.