Now that the warm weather is here, you’ll likely have lots of get-togethers with friends and family to share laughs, food, and germs. Ah, lovely germs. That communal chip dip bowl might be growing something funky other than that blue cheese Aunt Sally threw in.
While I don’t mind sharing the occasional drink or snack with someone I know and like, there are always a few double-dippers at every party who end up essentially sharing their spit with everyone at the party (well everyone who uses the dip, that is).
There are two types of party-goers: those that take a relaxed approach to germs, and their counterparts, germaphobes. Mythbusters had a Seinfeld-inspired episode where they tested whether “double-dipping is the equivalent of putting the microbes in your mouth into the dip as if all of the dip were put in your mouth.”
Mythbusters concluded that double-dipping actually spread fewer microbes than putting the entire dip in your mouth, and that the number of additional microbes from double-dipping was “negligible.”
An episode of Dr. Oz examined double-dipping as well. Several bowls of used chip dip were sent to a lab to examine the bacteria. Dr. Oz’s lab assistant found Group B Streptococcus, which is a bacteria found in the intestines and nether-regions which implies that hands were not properly washed after using the restroom. (This fact does not surprise me as I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen women leave a public restroom without washing their hands!) This type of bacteria is particularly harmful to pregnant women, newborns and those with a weak immune system and can cause infections and meningitis.
Aside from chip dips, Dr. Oz also inspected mint bowls found in restaurants. The findings displayed the presence of Bacillus, a type of bacteria commonly found in soil. While Bacillus is not always harmful, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Streptococcus Viridans (common bacteria found in the mouth) was also found in the mint bowl. What’s an easy solution? Only eat mints that are individually wrapped.
Dr. Oz claims that it takes only 3-6 double-dips on average to transfer 10,000 bacteria to the dip. So whether or not you care about sharing germs and bacteria with your fellow party-goers, one thing is certain: double-dipping is a social no-no. If you must have a shared chip bowl at your next gathering, here are a few tips to prevent double-dipping:
- Cut up foods into one-bite sized pieces so that guests will not get the urge to double-dip.
- Place the food into the center of the room rather than the corner so that guests will be less likely to double-dip.
- Provide a spoon for each dip to encourage guests to portion out their own dip onto a separate plate.
Bon Appetit!
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