Chipped plates at restaurants?

[BaaBaa.]

What a load of shite, I find Thais to be clean people no matter their earnings.

whoosh. Maybe I should have ... never mind.

Wasn't subtle enough for a whoosh.

[margaretcarnes]

Yuck! Chipped crockery...horrible! All those germs lurking in the cracks

^ Correct. I never concerned myself with chipped or cracked plates as we even have several of those in our own kitchen. But, oddly enough, I just read a health news article yesterday (sorry, just searched and tried to find it to post the url but couldn't locate) that said eating off of cracked or chipped plates was dangerous for the very reason mentioned by Siani. Viruses and bacteria live in those cracks and chips. When a plate is manufactured it is glazed with a coating that seals it against these organisms. Chips or cracks open the glaze to let them thrive within the dishes themselves and infect the food eaten from them. Washing, unless in a very high temperature washing machine, will not remove or kill these imbedded microbes. Add to that the generally less sanitary conditions in a country like this as most dishes are simply washed or rinsed in cold unfiltered tap water and you may find the reason for your monthly case of the runs... ...or more serious health problems.

Also, I have read articles that said a lot of crockery, especially from China and other Asian countries still contains a fair amount of lead, which can leach into the food from cracked dishes and mugs, especially if they are used in a Microwave oven. Before you search and disagree, I've also read opinions against that, but it seems to still be an open issue, so why take the chance?

I'll eat anywhere so long as it's good food, but in the LOS preferably off plastic dishes (which are used at the food stalls anyway.) But it's only since learnig more about pottery - and making it - in the UK that I've realised the hazards posed by unglazed earthenware, and also by some glazes, and oxides in particular.
Any chipped crockery in Maison Carnes goes straight in the bin. Not only is it impossible to clean effectively, but it looks cheap and disgusting. I wouldn't dream of offering food/drink to visitors on anything less than 100% intact pottery, and it's so cheap to buy there is no excuse.

[Vital Spark]

I really don't care. I'm with Richard and Takiap on this one, as in I've probably eaten off the odd chipped or cracked crockery, and I'm still alive and healthy.

I hadn't really thought of the 'dangers' until a lovely Thai friend came round for a meal one day, and the subject came up. She's spent a bit of time in the US and had picked up on the fear factor. As we were sitting at the table I was scrutinising the dishes and plates in front of us, ready to quietly remove any offending crockery from the table. Luckily, the 'best' china was out on display. This is the same lady who'll buy something wrapped up in a banana leaf from a street stall! I've seen how those banana leaves are prepared, and they're by no means cleaned of any bacteria. The owner of our local drinking hole does a side-line in ready prepared squares of leaves. She gives them a bit of a dusting off with the usual dirty cloth (just to wipe off the dust and bird muck), goes to the loo (which has no wash basin or soap), and puts the neat squares in a never-washed plastic basket. It really doesn't bother me, but I think that you're far more likely to pick up a nasty from a leaf/bamboo stalk on-the-street seller than a chip or crack in crockery.

'You've got to eat a peck of dirt before you die' - that's a few litres. I'll just keep supping my tea out of my favourite cracked mug...

VS