Is Double Dipping As Risky As We Think?

Is double dipping really as bad for us as we think? Science says it might be, especially is the dipper is sick.

Many diseases like the flu, or whooping cough can be spread by contact with saliva in dip. An undergraduate research team from Clemson University did a series of experiments on double dipping. The students compared bitten versus unbitten crackers in 3 different kinds of dip: salsa, chocolate and cheese.

When the crackers were not double dipped, they found almost no detectable bacteria present. But once they double dipped, the salsa has about 5 times more bacteria from the bitten chip than the chocolate and cheese dips. However, after 2 hours the bacterial numbers in the salsa dropped to the same level as the chocolate and cheese dips.

The researchers explained that because salsa isn’t as thick, as the chocolate and cheese dip, more of the dip that touched the cracker falls back into the dipping bowl, and bacteria from the mouth falls along, too. However, salsa is more acidic, which kills some of the bacteria.

While double dipping does indeed transfer germs, it probably won’t kill you, as most dips already contain bacteria. But if you’re sick, you might want to stay away from double dipping.  

More Videos