Researchers at Clemson University, South Carolina (United States), have found that the simple act of blowing out candles increases the number of bacteria to the surface of the birthday cake by 1,400%.
To arrive at these conclusions, published in Journal of Food ResearchFood safety professor Paul Dawson and his colleagues used a fake polystyrene cake, covered with aluminum foil and real sugar icing on which they placed the candles. To “reproduce the conditions of a festive meal”, the researchers shared a pizza. “We thought it would help the salivary glands to warm up,” Paul Dawson told the American magazine. The Atlantic.
More or less bacteria depending on who is blowing
After blowing out the candles, the American researchers diluted the icing on the cake with sterilized water and poured it into Petri dishes to let bacteria grow. Result: “the icing contains on average 1,400% more bacteria than an intact surface, that is to say fourteen times more”, explains Paul Dawson.
Scientists have also observed that the number of bacteria depends on the person blowing. In some cases, they found up to 120 times more bacteria. “Some people do not transmit bacteria by blowing, while others spread a lot”, adds the professor of food safety.
But, don’t panic, the researchers have indicated that the bacteria in question are not dangerous to health, as long as the person blowing is not sick. “Even if you blow out your candles 100,000 times, the chances of getting sick would still be minimal,” reassures Paul Dawson.
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