Miss Manners: Friend touches buffet items and then puts them back

Washington Post

21-05-2025

Dear Miss Manners: I have a dear friend who occasionally attends functions with me where food is available — usually breakfasts. She invariably takes an item (a bagel, muffin or cookie, say), breaks off the amount she wants and then puts the remainder back on the serving platter.
I think this is wrong, as she's touching the food with bare hands and returning it for others to eat. If it's a casserole or something to be scooped up with utensils, that's fine, but not a single-serving baked item that she's touching.