Would you like a side of UV light with that cupcake?
That might be the future of your next visit to Magnolia Bakery, and maybe even others in NYC’s future.
In an interview with the New York Post, the famous bakery’s “chief baking officer” Bobbie Lloyd described new “Cleanse Portals” they would be installing, that customers would have to step through in order to enter into the store. They rotate 360 degrees around the body for about 20 seconds, killing germs using UVC light.
Sound familiar? UVC is the same type of ultraviolet light that the MTA just announced they would be using to disinfect subways and buses.
Apparently the bakery will also replace its recessed lighting with lights that transmit far-UVC.
UV light is normally not safe for human contact, but UVC is a different form that doesn’t have the same effects. Dr. David Brenner from Columbia University (who also worked with the MTA) told the Post it has a “very limited range.”
As emphasized yesterday, these lights are not a “cure-all” for COVID-19, but definitely present a promising new development in eradicating the virus on surfaces.
Magnolia Bakery is starting with the “portals” at their Upper West Side location and shipping center in Harlem (where they send out their famous banana pudding), and then will expand with the UV recessed lighting in their West Village shop later on.
Could this be the future of shopping and dining in NYC? A quick UV scan before you enter? Only time will tell.
See also: How To Make Magnolia Bakery’s Original Banana Pudding Recipe At Home
featured image source: Instagram / @ichawidito