Keep an eye on the salsa this Super Bowl Sunday: A researcher inspired by a famous “Seinfeld” episode has concluded that double dipping is just plain gross.

“That’s like putting your whole mouth right in the dip!” George Costanza was admonished on the show after he dipped a chip twice at a wake. That’s not too far off, said Clemson University professor Paul L. Dawson.

Last year the food microbiologist’s undergraduate students examined the effects of double dipping using volunteers, wheat crackers and several sample dips. They found that three to six double dips transferred about 10,000 bacteria from an eater’s mouth to the remaining dip sample.

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“I was very surprised by the results,” Dawson said in a telephone interview Thursday. “I thought there would be very minimal transfer. I didn’t think we would be able to detect it.”

The professor said the students’ research didn’t get into the risk behind such a bacteria transfer, but they got the idea.

“I like to say it’s like kissing everybody at the party — if you’re double dipping, you’re putting some of your bacteria in that dip,” Dawson said.

The results of the research are scheduled to be published in the journal Food Safety within the next six months, he said.

I don't even double dip on myself. One chip, one dip. Anything else is sick.

...but it's 'good' bacteria.

I believe in rotating the chip.

Bah, germophobes.

2ndGen, let me know how that "free spirited" girl dipping into your salsa with the open sores on her mouth works out.

Edit to add: I think it's okay, as long as they don't double dip.:bigthumb:

I'm thinking about restricting your usage of key words like "billions"

what grosses me out more than the bacteria is the fact that the enzymes in your spit start digesting the dip sitting in the bowl :(

^Now THAT is sick.

So another persons spit is sitting in the salsa breaking it down? that is sick

what about rotating the chip?

^Fail. 1 chip, 1 dip. Period.

i don't get why everyone is scared of bacteria....its everywhere and its not going to kill you. just enjoy the food already and quit thinking about the bacteria in it. if it was really dangerous, we'd see so many more illnesses related to double dipping, rather we dont.

You are all fucking pussies.

OH NOES 10,000 BACTERIAZ?!

I know nothing of the micro bacterial world but I am going to go ahead and act like 10,000 germs is of no consequence anyway.

Chips & Salsa = win
Chicks & Salsa = 2x win

yum

That's pretty sick. I was just wondering about that yesterday when I was sharing ketchup with a buddy.

so just use small chips, then people won't have any chip left to double dip

The government shoudl ban large chips to prevent the spreading of bacteria!!!!

yeah, that would fly well with tostitos

You are all fucking pussies.

Haha, I double dip on purpose.. :screwyou:

:owned: