With the growing popularity of Asian cuisine, people have been using chopsticks a lot.
Some health-conscious foodies even carry their own chopsticks when dining out, as cleanliness of chopsticks is frequently neglected during meals at eateries.
Some restaurants, on the other hand, use disposable chopsticks, thus littering the environment.
In an effort to reduce toxic waste and, at the same time, provide hygienic chopsticks, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has developed a one-of-a-kind ‘Pocket Chopstick Sanitizer,’ which in just 90 seconds can kill 99.99% of E.coli and other pathogens. This innovation wins the COMPUTEX Best Choice Award 2016 and will be unveiled on May 31 at COMPUTEX Taipei.
Chopsticks that aren’t completely cleaned and stored in a proper environment or are used past their expiration date can easily become a hotbed of bacterial growth.
The Pocket Chopstick Sanitizer employs a compact UVC LED light disinfection module patented by ITRI, which features high radiation intensity via laser-like reflective-projection technology and omnidirectional light irradiation. Smart sensors have also been integrated into the device to ensure safe use.