How to avoid toxic gases in copper hotpot restaurants

Eating hot pot is like walking into a "gas chamber". Don't say this is sensational, maybe you will be tricked. A reporter from a recent interview found that many hot pot restaurants in Shanghai now use charcoal pots, but the ventilation in the stores is poor, and alarm devices such as toxic gas concentration detectors are collectively missing.

Some diners became more and more dizzy as they ate, possibly due to the carbon monoxide gathering indoors.

The doors and windows are closed and the charcoal hot pot is being cooked

“Two more pots, the customers are waiting!” At 7 o’clock in the evening, business was very good in a hot pot restaurant on Tongxin Road. The boss and waiters I was busy, but I didn't forget to close the door when I came in and out.

"How about leaving the door open in such a cold weather?" the boss said with certainty. The reporter looked around and found that all the windows in the room were closed, and there was a charcoal stove burning steaming hot on the countertop of each table. The air is filled with the smell of smoke, food and water vapor, and only one or two small exhaust fans are used for ventilation, and people's faces will soon turn red. Not long after, one or two customers stood up and walked out, "It's too stuffy, I need to go out and get some fresh air."

The reporter visited Zhou's house

Zui Road and Sichuan Road Many charcoal pot hot pot restaurants have found that the indoor air is dirty and makes people feel stuffy. For example, Little Sheep uses induction cookers for heating and has direct ventilation ducts, so the situation is much better.

Inferior quality charcoal is more likely to "poison"

"Ventilation is the most important thing for hot pot restaurants." Boss Wang, who has been in the charcoal stove hot pot business for 4 years, is well versed in hot pot restaurant operations, Security waits. "The stuffy and uncomfortable hot pot restaurants do not have effective ventilation facilities. The more critical point is often overlooked, which is the carbon monoxide produced by burning charcoal."

Boss Wang told reporters that the hot pot uses If charcoal is not burned well enough, it will release carbon monoxide. "Theoretically, those in our field should concentrate the hot pot in one place to burn the charcoal, and wait until it is fully burned before serving it on the table. However, business is good in winter now. Sometimes, when the charcoal is almost lit, we lift it up, resulting in too much carbon monoxide. With poor ventilation, it is easy to feel dizzy.”

In addition, this industry insider also revealed that due to rising prices and costs, many hot pot restaurants use not regular machine-made charcoal. All kinds of cheap and inferior charcoal. "This kind of charcoal is more choking and more likely to release carbon monoxide."

You should pay attention to opening windows for ventilation

The staff of the Shanghai Gas Hotline told reporters that from the perspective of formal operations, Hot pot restaurants should install toxic gas concentration alarm devices indoors. "It is used to ensure the safety of customers, but there are currently no mandatory regulations."

Of the nearly ten hot pot restaurants visited by the reporter, none had such an alarm installed, and some bosses had never even heard of it. In this regard, when people eat charcoal pots, they can only pay attention to opening windows to ensure ventilation, and never harm the body in the hope of "steaming".