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Germ burden Candle bursting causes bacteria to land on the birthday cake
Most people may have practiced this ancient custom before: On our birthday, we blow out the candles on our birthday cake and wish for something. This tradition could actually lead to negative consequences for the later consumers of the birthday cake. The blowing out of the candles causes the number of bacteria on the cake to increase to 1,400 percent, compared to a cake on which no candles were blown out.
Scientists at Clemson University in South Carolina found in their current research that blowing out candles on a birthday cake results in an extremely high bacterial load. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of Food Research."
Blowing out the candles on a birthday cake is an old tradition. Researchers have now discovered that this process leads to an extreme increase in the concentration of bacteria on the cake. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com) Experts manufacture artificial birthday cake
For the new investigation, a birthday cake made of styrofoam was made and then covered with a foil, which was decorated with candles on the top. The study participants were then asked to eat a piece of hot pizza. This was intended to mimic the kind of food that visitors typically take to a birthday party. Thus, the salivary glands of the consumers become active, and bacteria accumulate in the mouth, explain the scientists.
Samples of the false cake were transferred to bacteria-friendly agar plates
Next, they asked the subjects to blow out the candles on the wrong cake. Afterwards, the researchers collected the samples on the film and placed them on bacteria-friendly agar plates. This experiment was repeated three times on separate days by eleven subjects.
Effects of blowing out the candles on the burden of bacteria
On average, blowing out the candles has increased the level of bacteria on the cake 15-fold, say the doctors. In some subjects, however, the burden was much higher. The explanation for this is simple: some people simply produce more saliva, known as hypersalivation, explain the scientists on. The blowing out of the candles by a test person even led to an increase of the bacteria by 120 times. Some people blow out the candles and do not transfer bacteria to the cake. But there are also people who for some reason transmit a lot of bacteria, explains author Professor Paul Dawson.
Bacteria are a normal part of our lives
Certainly, the results of the current study initially sound very unappetizing. But you should not worry too much about blowing out the candles at birthday parties and the strain of bacteria. Bacteria are a normal part of our everyday life, explain the authors. Of course, some potentially harmful germs may be present in the sputum saliva, such as Streptococcus pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus. However, these amounts are not enough to harm the consumers of the pie, the researchers say. After all, people have blown out the candles their pies for centuries and a death by a contaminated cake may have been very rare, the researchers add.
The danger to our health is very low
There is no great danger to health from the old tradition. Even if you've consumed such a pie 100,000 times, the likelihood of getting sick would be minimal, adds Professor Dawson. In other words, consuming a pie with an increased bacterial load will not be fatal, but if you've ever been looking for an excuse to stop eating the birthday cake, the argument with the bacteria is certainly pretty convincing. (As)