A TikToker Tests Groceries For Hidden Bacteria & These Are The Dirtiest Items At The Store
The gummy bear results were wild!
Groceries on the conveyor belt at a grocery store checkout counter.
How dirty is the food you buy from a grocery store, and does washing it make any difference?
A TikTok user and self-proclaimed scientist has been shocking millions of people by offering a glimpse at all the germs hiding on everyday foods like eggs and strawberries, and his videos will seriously leave you shook.
Alex English, who runs the TikTok account Howdirtyis, recently captured the internet's attention by testing gummy bears in a bulk store bin, and the results were not what you'd expect.
Most of English's videos follow the same format. He swabs the target object for a bacteria sample, swabs that sample into a Petri dish and then sticks the dish in an incubator for the bacteria to do their thing. After an unspecified amount of time he goes back and opens up the dish to show the camera what's growing there.
Sometimes we see a few bacteria colonies represented by dots on the dish; other times the dish is straight up covered in a paste from all the bacteria growing on it. Occasionally the dish is clean, which is obviously a relief for everyone involved.
English doesn't exactly show his work so it's hard to say whether he's doing scientifically sound tests, and he admits he doesn't know what kinds of bacteria he's finding. However, as he points out in a lengthy explainer video, not all bacteria are bad.
"More often than not, they tend to be harmless to most healthy people," he says. English goes on to add that certain bacteria are crucial to keeping us alive because they help us break down food in our stomachs, so we shouldn't necessarily be freaked out by their presence on random objects.
English has tested all sorts of everyday surfaces for his TikTok page, from bowling balls to aircraft.
The results can be all over the place, and while you shouldn't take his findings as absolute lab-tested science, it is worth noting that some grocery store items are much dirtier than others — and that rinsing your fruit doesn't do as much as you'd expect.
Still, Health Canada says it's important to wash your food with water and to avoid chemicals because those can leech through the skin of produce.
"Every year, 1 in 8 people (4 million people living in Canada) get suck each year from contaminated food," Health Canada's website says.
The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service also recommends washing your produce, and even using a scrubbing brush on produce with a firm surface. They point out that this is to remove lingering dirt and not necessarily to sanitize your food, because as English's results show, you can't always get produce perfectly clean.
Here's what he found when checking several common grocery store buys, as well as the conveyor belt and the self-checkout counter themselves.
Grocery store strawberries
@howdirtyis Replying to @anotherjournalwitch How clean can we get these strawberries? Trying some recommendations from comments. #strawberry #strawberries #fruit #fruits #fruitsurgery #groceryshopping #groceries #groceryhaul #grocerystore #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균 #stem #stem #stemfeed #STEMfeed #cleantok
The common wisdom with grocery store strawberries is that you should give them a rinse under the sink before eating. But does it do anything?
Health Canada says it's useful, although English suggests that a rinse is "hardly helpful."
The TikToker ran a few tests with store-bought strawberries to compare unwashed berries to those rinsed with water and others washed in baths of vinegar or vinegar and baking soda.
The results got progressively better, but he certainly couldn't say they were clean.
His Petri dish was covered in bacteria slime as expected after testing the unwashed strawberries. He found that a water rinse was "hardly helpful," and that vinegar wiped out certain bacteria, but the dish was still covered in yellow paste afterward. "Even the double combo couldn't help," he said, referring to vinegar and baking soda.
His conclusion? "Believe in the stomach acid."
In other words, trust your body to just deal with it, because you're not going to get them perfectly clean.
Grocery store eggs
@howdirtyis How dirty is an egg straight outta the carton? Lets take a looky, shall we? #eggs #egg #eggchallenge #groceryshopping #grocerystore #groceries #groceryhaul #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균
You don't (intentionally) eat the shell of an egg, but it doesn't hurt to know what you're touching when you crack one into the pan for breakfast.
English ran a simple test on eggs in a grocery store carton and he found almost no bacteria on them.
"Rest easy," he says at the end of his video.
Thanks, I guess?
Grocery store grapes
@howdirtyis Replying to @Kelley Wellon How dirty are grapes? Rinsed and then cleaned with a fancy lil thang. #grapes #grape #grapelover #grocery #grocereyshopping #groceryhaul #grocerystore #shopping #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균
If you were icked out by the results of the washed strawberries, you won't feel any better after seeing English's test on a bag of grapes.
He found that bacteria from unwashed grapes create a "shiny" film on the Petri dish, and rinsing "didn't seem to do much" in his second test. He also tried cleaning them with a special solution that helped a bit, but the dish was still coated with a thin layer of bacteria.
It's just going to be dirty, folks. Give it a wash and hope for the best.
Bulk gummy bears
@howdirtyis How dirty is a help yourself candy store? Don’t tell Willy Wonka… #candy #candyshop #candytok #sweet #sweets #s#scienceg#germs#sciencebiatchg#grossn#nastyh#howdirtyisd#dirtyi#interestingb#bacterias#sciencetokc#coolf#fypc#cleanf#foryoum#microc#curiousサ#サイエンス科#科学実#実験バ#バクテリアf#funfactf#factsf#factg#germsi#interestingfacti#interestingfactsa#amazingfacta#amazingfactsa#amazingr#randomfactsr#randomfactr#randomfactsforyouf#factstimed#dailyfactf#funfactsf#factofthedayf#funfactoftheday#b#biob#biologyb#biomedl#labl#labworkl#laboratoriob#biologiam#microbiologias#scitokS#ScienceToks#scienceismagics#scienceiscools#sciencefairf#foreigngermsg#germsquadm#mygermsv#viralb#bacterialb#bacterialcontaminationp#petriedishバ#バクテリアサ#サイエンス科#科学実#実験面#面白い面#面白い動画v#viralv#viralvideov#viraltiktokt#trendingt#trendingvideot#trendingtiktok세#세균s#stems#stems#stemfeedS#STEMfeedcleantok
Gummy bears sit in a plastic tub all day and if someone leaves the lid up, then they're also exposed to whatever is circulating in the air at the bulk store.
So does that make them gross?
English ran two tests on grocery store gummy bears: one to check the candies and one to check the tongs you use to pluck them out of the bin. The video itself blew up on TikTok with over 7 million views, as people were clearly eager to find out the results of this particular test.
According to English's test, gummy bears were not as germ-ridden as you might expect. In fact, he found the tongs only yielded about a dozen bacteria colony spots on the dish, while there were virtually none to be seen after he tested the gummies themselves.
"Tongs aren't terrible," he wrote on the video. "Clean candy!" he concluded with the gummies.
Of course, others had plenty of stories to share in the comments, with one person pointing out that they've seen people dig around in the bins with their hands and even throw half-eaten candy back in.
Another user pointed out that bins get swapped out when that happens, while a self-proclaimed former candy store worker said they weren't comforted at all by that fact. "I'll never eat from the candy bins, that's for sure," they wrote.
"Even if it came back dirty I would still eat it," added another.
Bananas
@howdirtyis How dirty is a banana? #fruit #fruits #fruitsurgery #fruitsbasket #banana #bananas #bananasong #grocery #grocerystore #groceryhaul #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균 #stem #stem #stemfeed #STEMfeed #cleantok
How dirty is a banana, and how much does that even matter, considering that you're only eating the inside?
You'd expect this test to turn out a lot like the egg, but English's test actually turned out some surprising results. He found that the outside of a banana was pretty gross and he jokes that he wouldn't recommend "eating the peel."
However, he also found a "single lonely colony" of bacteria on the inside of the banana. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe that banana peel isn't keeping every bit of bacteria out at the store.
Roller hot dogs
@howdirtyis Replying to @stephenshaddox How dirty is a gas station roller dog? #gasstation #hotdog #hotdogs #hotdogchallenge #hotdogwater #wiener #food #foodtiktok #foodtok #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균 #stem #stem #stemfeed #STEMfeed #cleantok
You'd think those sweaty hot dogs you see on rollers at the store would be gross, but English tested one and found otherwise.
According to his test, a hot dog "might still give you indigestion but that wiener is clean."
Grocery store self-checkout
@howdirtyis Replying to @ceramicslab How dirty is self-checkout? #target #shopping #shoppinghaul #shoppingaddict #targethaul #targetfinds #targetmusthaves #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균 #stem #stem #stemfeed #STEMfeed #cleantok
Why let a stranger touch your food when you can just use self-checkout?
Because you're going to end up touching the same screen as everyone else, that's why.
English tested the self-checkout kiosk at a Target, which isn't even a full grocery store, and the result was a thick layer of bacteria on his Petri dish.
"Maybe just let the cashier do it," he wrote.
Grocery store checkout belt
@howdirtyis Replying to @skittyycat How dirty is a store checkout belt? #store #target #grocery #groceryshopping #groceries #groceryhaul #grocerystore #science #germ #sciencebiatch #gross #nasty #howdirtyis #dirty #interesting #bacteria #sciencetok #cool #fyp #clean #foryou #micro #curious #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #バクテリア #funfact #facts #fact #germs #interestingfact #interestingfacts #amazingfact #amazingfacts #amazing #randomfacts #randomfact #randomfactsforyou #factstime #dailyfact #funfacts #factoftheday #funfactoftheday #bio #biology #biomed #lab #labwork #laboratorio #biologia #microbiologia #scitok #ScienceTok #scienceismagic #scienceiscool #sciencefair #foreigngerms #germsquad #mygerms #viral #bacterial #bacterialcontamination #petriedish #バクテリア #サイエンス #科学 #実験 #面白い #面白い動画 #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trending #trendingvideo #trendingtiktok #세균 #stem #stem #stemfeed #STEMfeed #cleantok
The checkout conveyor belt is like the toilet seat of the grocery store: everyone uses it for their business, and you can't be sure they wiped after they were done.
OK so that might sound like overkill, but take a look at English's test and you'll say otherwise. His Petri dish was covered in bacteria after the test, and maybe that explains why most of the other items on this list are, too.
"My goodness," he wrote on the video after revealing the results. "Hope that produce is bagged."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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