If You've Always Hated Double-Dipping, Feel Superior In Knowing That Science Agrees

by N/A, 10 years ago | 1 min read

We all know that one person at parties that double dips. And in case you didn't already think that's nasty, now science has actually confirmed how gross double-dipping really is...

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Finally! Factual proof - double dipping is disgusting.

Researchers at Clemson University have found that double dipping (i.e. biting a chip and dipping it back in salsa, cheese, etc.) increases the amount of bacteria in the dip. Shocking, right?

The study was published in Scientific American. The experiment measured the amount of bacteria in cups of water that had been dipped into by bitten crackers. The results showed that those crackers that had been dipped into the water between three and six times had around 1000 more bacteria per milliliter than the cups that had just made contact with the crackers.

Once double-dipped, salsa took on about five times more bacteria from the bitten chip, in comparison to chocolate and cheese dips.

Researchers suggest this is because salsa is thinner than chocolate and cheese dips, so it soaks up more bacteria. However, two hours after the double-dipping happens, the bacteria numbers start to drop to about the same level as chocolate and cheese, likely because salsa is more acidic and kills bacteria as time goes on.

So next time there's a double dipper in the house, now you actually have science to back up being grossed out. 'Cause yeah, it's nasty.