Following Lidl's 'double dipping' Christmas advert, is it really healthy to double-dip?

Some food for thought next time you reach for the guacamole...

Chips and guacamole dip
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You may have seen Lidl's new Christmas ad, which features one party faux pas: double dipping. Tortilla chips and guacamole, carrots and hummus, breadsticks and tzatziki – whatever your dip of choice, you might want to think twice before any future dunking.

According to research in Harvard's Healthbeat journal 'double-dipping' (i.e. taking a bite out of a piece of food and re-dipping) sees a surge in bacteria.

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The study in question looked at the effects of repeatedly dunking crisps in various dips. The worst offender? Salsa. This tomato-based Mexican dish accumulated more germs than chocolate or cheese. Because salsa is less thick than many of its dip counterparts it means more of the food, saliva and dip falls back in to the communal container. Nice.

Journal editor, Dr Robert Shmerling, said: 'This research does raise the possibility that a person who is sick might spread a disease by re-dipping a chip… But even if the risk is hard to prove, the risk may be real. We know of many respiratory diseases that can be spread by contact with saliva, such as influenza (the flu) or whooping cough...'

But don't panic. He adds: 'Still, there are probably much bigger risks at your next office party than double dipping. You're more likely to contract an illness from a sick person coughing or sneezing in your face or if they don't wash their hands while sick, than you are from a healthy double-dipper. So, while it's reasonable to discourage double dipping, it's unlikely to pose a major risk to your health.'

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So there we have it. Your office party itself might pose more of a health risk than chips and dips.

But if you do double dip, Dr Schmerling recommends turning the crisp (or food of choice) around to dunk the unbitten end. With the possible chance of spreading bugs and bacteria, why would you risk it?


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