Don't Double Dip That Chip

A study by some Clemson University undergrads has shown that putting a food item in your mouth and then putting that item into a bowl of dip, causes that dip to have more bacteria than normal. Transfering 50-100 bacteria between mouths with every dip to be precise. Amazing. The results of their, "running downstairs with scissors in your mouth" study have been inconclusive.

3-second dip?

[lortho]

The team of nine students instructed volunteers to take a bite of a wheat cracker and dip the cracker for three seconds into about a tablespoon of a test dip.

Come on, 3 seconds? Who sticks a chip into some dip and holds it there for that long before taking it back out? I'm willing to bet a lot fewer bacteria transfer over in the quick in-and-out dip most people would do.

Re:

[Crizp]

Yes I would think that in a normally quick dip, most germs would _stay on the chip_. Think about it. You dip the chip, into the bowl, yes, but you coat it in a layer of dip. Which -- get this -- _sticks_ to the chip as you pull it up, still with the protective layer!

Armchair science, sure. But come on, it's not like it's dangerous to double-dip, drink from the same bottle, share a cigarette etc. People need to relax and stop worrying so much.