Here's how much bacteria you spew on the cake while blowing out birthday candles.

Photo: flickr/SuzetteIn today's germ-phobic world, many people probably don't want to hear about how much bacteria is in and on their food. But too bad, say these researchers! They did a study of how much salivary bacteria is transferred to the cake when someone blows out birthday candles. And they found that yes, "blowing out the candles over the icing surface resulted in 1400% more bacteria compared to icing not blown on." But hey, nothing says "Happy Birthday" like frosting-covered bacteria... mmm!Bacterial Transfer Associated with Blowing Out Candles on a Birthday Cake "This study examined the potential spread of bacteria when blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Preliminary tests of blowing on nutrient agar indicated that bioaerosols in human breath expelled from the mouth may be a source of bacteria transferred to cake surfaces. To test aerosol transfer to cake, icing was spread evenly over foil then birthday candles ...