When you sit down at a restaurant, the server usually asks if you would prefer flat water, sparkling water, or lemon water. While a slice of lemon seems like the perfect, refreshing, and healthy choice, you might want to rethink that order. According to multiple scientific studies, the lemon wedge in your restaurant water is hiding a rather unpleasant secret.
We already know that restaurants, despite their best efforts, are not always the cleanest environments. But when it comes to the humble lemon garnish, the reality is surprisingly gross. Here is why you should stick to enjoying your lemon water in the comfort of your own home, and how to make it safely.
The Shocking Science: What Is Really on Your Lemon
It is easy to assume that the bright acidity of a lemon would naturally kill off any bacteria. Unfortunately, that is a myth when it comes to the outside of the rind. Researchers have looked closely at restaurant lemon wedges, and the findings are enough to make you put your glass down.
The ABC News Investigation
In a revealing investigation, ABC News set out to find the ten germiest places in a typical restaurant. When they swabbed the lemon wedges sitting on the counter and in the water glasses, the results were startling. Fifty percent of the lemons tested were tainted with human fecal matter.
How does this happen? The cameras caught employees grabbing lemons with their bare hands, without using gloves or tongs. If a staff member had not washed their hands thoroughly after using the restroom, handling raw meat, or taking out the trash, those germs were transferred directly to the fruit you are about to drop into your drink.
The Journal of Environmental Health Study
