Scientists reveal which common food-sharing habits spread the most germs

Researchers have investigated common food-sharing habits to understand how germs spread. While sharing food can transmit bacteria and viruses, the risk for most healthy people engaging in occasional sharing is minimal. However, certain practices warrant caution.

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You bit it... and you dipped again! That's like putting your whole mouth right into the dip!

Double-dipping snacks, a habit famously highlighted in the sitcom "Seinfeld," significantly increases bacterial contamination in shared dips. Studies show that dips with double-dipped snacks can contain five times more bacteria than those without. While the bacterial count may decrease over time, the act itself raises hygiene concerns, especially if hands touching the food are not clean. This practice also poses a risk for individuals with allergies, as it can lead to accidental exposure to allergens in the shared dip.

Another common practice, blowing out birthday candles, can also contribute to germ transmission. Research indicates that this action can increase the number of bacteria on cake frosting by as much as 14 times. The historical practice of "penny lick" glasses for ice cream sales in 19th-century Britain, where customers licked glasses clean before they were refilled, is cited as an example of how shared items can spread diseases like tuberculosis and cholera, leading to their eventual ban.

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The samples of dip into which the snack was double-dipped had five times more bacteria than those that were not double-dipped.

Even seemingly innocuous habits like sharing ice cream cones can be risky. When sharing a cone, even with separate spoons, it essentially becomes another form of double-dipping. The article also touches on the "five-second rule," suggesting it's not a reliable guideline, and notes that sticky foods are more prone to collecting bacteria. Interestingly, carpets are found to transfer fewer bacteria than smooth floors.

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It's probably just as unacceptable to touch the chip with your hands and fingers before you put it back in the dip. That would depend on the hygiene of the person touching the food, and that varies from person to person.