Deborah Bamisaye
“Chuks! Chuks!! How you dey now? I hope you have been served, are you ok?” (Clears throat) “You see, you know I no longer take alcohol and that I have successfully replaced it with soft drinks, especially the ones in cans. They get chilled on time and I have come to like them. So, more drinks please, at least to celebrate my victory over alcohol.” “Are you kidding me?” Asked Gbenga, “You have taken three (3) cans already or you think I don’t know and now you are asking for more? “I beg oh, I’m expecting more guests, you better respect yourself. By the way, did you clean the tap of the drinks before taking them?” Chuks sighed and said “Na that one dey important to you now? Over sabi Doctor! So you knew and you were acting like you cared initially. Give me more drinks, simple! You are there telling me trash…”
Hey there! I hope none of you take canned drinks without cleaning the lid thoroughly? Just tell me only Chuks does.
Do you know that drinking from cans without cleaning the lid (i.e. tap, top, tin cap) thoroughly can expose you to various harmful bacteria and pathogens that may cause illnesses? Asking how? Here:
Sometimes, during storage of the canned drinks, mice or rats could pass by or climb over them, cockroaches and other insects could deposit faeces or eggs on them too. Drink dealers may not find the time to clean as expected and besides how many would they clean? They seem to pass the duty to other sellers (sub-agents, wholesalers or retailers) who are in a hurry to make sales or who may be ignorant about what you are reading now. This exposes one to several illnesses, mainly due to bacteria and parasites already deposited on them.
This simple negligence of not cleaning them can cause:
– Leptospirosis: from animal urine contamination (e.g., mice or rats), which can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, and in some cases, serious organ infections.
– Gastrointestinal diseases like abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, dysentery, gastroenteritis, typhoid, and food poisoning caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella and other fecal contaminants.
– Skin and Ear Infections: from bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa found on dirty can surfaces.
– Ascariasis: This parasitic infection occurs when roundworm eggs (Ascaris lumbricoides), which may be present in contaminated environments, are ingested. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, intestinal blockage.
– Diseases Transmitted by Insects: like flies and cockroaches that may leave eggs or feces on can lids, spreading illnesses including typhoid, cholera, and even polio.
– Potential exposure to Staphylococcus and other microbes linked to unsanitary conditions, especially on cans stored or handled in contaminated environments.
– Other parasitic infections linked to fecal contamination include ‘Toxoplasma gondii’ (toxoplasmosis) and various helminth infections that can cause gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms.
Preventive measures include thoroughly cleaning can tops before drinking and maintaining good hygiene to reduce the risk of ingesting harmful microbes. Some of these germs deposits cannot be seen with ordinary eyes. That is why cleaning the lid or tap should be intentional.
Having seen the above pathogens or germs and knowing for a fact that Can lids get contaminated during transport, storage, or handling, especially if wet, dusty or dirty and even if nothing. Yes, if nothing! Even if everything looks ok and the seller just brought it out from a chilled pool of cold water, just make cleaning Canned Drinks a routine and that settles it all.
I don’t want to hide this from you any longer. You know me, I will tell you the truth – do you even know why that wet, chilled one could be more dangerous. Shhhh! Move closer, let me explain:
Do you know that poor food handling practices are well-documented contributors to foodborne disease outbreaks? In fact, wet can lids pose a greater risk of ingesting harmful bacteria and potential infections.
So, you don’t know? Oh some of you do. Anyway, studies show that when hands contaminated with bacteria like E. coli touch wet can lids, over 50% of the bacteria transfer to the lid, compared to about 30% transfer to dry lids. Also, wet surfaces facilitate bacterial survival and mobility, making it easier for microbes to move from hands to the can lid and then to the mouth, you see? Condensation on cold cans or wetness from handling increases the likelihood that bacteria will remain viable and infectious on the lid for days.
This is partly because water acts as a medium that supports bacterial adherence and transfer, whereas dry surfaces reduce this transfer by 94% to 99% (Don’t allow the 1%-6% remaining to affect you please. As a matter of fact, even if the surface is dry, how it has been handled determines the percentage of infection on the lid.)
Let me make more sense of it:
Bacteria can survive and grow on dry can lids and this poses significant health risks. Research demonstrates that pathogens like E. coli can persist on dry can surfaces for extended periods and transfer to humans upon contact, increasing the risk of food borne illnesses. Below are the key findings:
Bacterial Survival and Growth:
– Extended Survival: Bacteria such as ‘E. coli’ can survive on dry can lids for up to ’14 days’ at both room temperature and under refrigeration.
– Biofilm Formation: Bacteria form resilient biofilms on dry metal surfaces, enhancing their survival and resistance to cleaning. Biofilms act as protective layers, allowing bacteria to persist even in suboptimal conditions.
– Environmental Influence: Lower humidity and cooler temperatures prolong bacterial survival, though growth is slower compared to moist environments.
Health Risks
– Contamination Transfer: Studies show over 30% of bacteria from contaminated hands transfer to dry can lids. Direct contact during drinking can lead to ingestion of pathogens.
– Pathogen Exposure: Common bacteria found on lids include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. All these causes all the illnesses mentioned earlier and could lead to systemic infections in severe cases.
– Real-World Contamination: Approximately 46% of randomly tested can lids were classified as “dangerously unsanitary,” with another 31% in the “cautionary” range.
There you go! This evidence underscores that even dry can lids harbour pathogens capable of causing illnesses, underscoring the need for proper hygiene practice.
Before I draw the curtains on this topic, we need to know how to reduce health risks from both wet and dry cans, at least when we take them at home or at parties where chilled canned drinks are common. Whether you are the host or you get an invitation or you bought a canned drink for relaxation, these practical steps would help. Let’s check them out:
– Avoid Contact: Do not touch the can or lid surface with unwashed hands to prevent transferring bacteria.
– Wash Hands, Clean Cans: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. In other words, practice good hand hygiene. Wash before and after handling cans to prevent transferring bacteria to or from them. Where there is no warm water, wash under running water.
– Use Cloth or Wipe: Ensure you personally clean can lids before drinking by wiping them with a clean cloth, paper towel, or antibacterial wipe to remove dirt and microbes. Wipe sellers, where are you? Sanitize around the drink area to reduce cross-contamination risks. Where these do not exist, rinse cans under running water before taking it.
– Use Dedicated Cloth – Where you choose to use cloth, then separate the cloth for that purpose to avoid spreading bacteria between items.
It means you should dedicate one small cloth for this or simply use wipes, very disposable.
– Personal Hygiene: Practice good personal hygiene by avoiding the touching of your face or hair when handling cans and do not handle drinks when sick or with open wound.
– Use Straws or Pour into Glasses: Drinking with a straw or pouring the drink into a glass avoids direct contact with potentially contaminated can surfaces.
– Inspect Cans for Dirt or Damage: Avoid cans that look dirty, corroded, or damaged, as these are more likely to harbor harmful microbes.
– Keep Cans Stored Properly: Store cans in clean, dry places away from pests and contaminants to minimize surface contamination.
– Sanitize Multiple Cans Quickly: Consider using single-use sanitizing wipes designed specifically for beverage cans, which clean all the nooks and crannies on the lid effectively.
– Manage Moisture: Since moisture increases bacterial transfer, dry cans with a clean towel if they are wet from condensation or storage.
These simple precautions at home or at social events can significantly lower the risk of ingesting harmful bacteria from can lids while still enjoying chilled beverages.
Even Dr. Egemba, a public health expert, advised that rinsing the lids of canned drinks before consumption is very important so as to avoid contamination from bacteria, viruses, and toxins that may be present from handling or rodent exposure. He warned that such contamination can lead to food poisoning and diarrheal diseases.
With these said, it’s no longer news that we have all moved from germs on taps to sipping smart.
Welcome to the ‘Sip Smart Club!’
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