Bacterial transfer is a concern when sharing food and drink, so to address this concern, this study examined the bacterial transfer onto and into plastic drinking cups. Two experiments were performed to: 1) test bacterial transfer to the rim of a plastic drinking cup, and 2) test residual bacteria in the liquid that was consumed from the cup. Bacteria were enumerated from the cup rim and the water in the cup. The results for both types of transfer showed higher bacterial populations on cups exposed to drinking compared to those where no drinking occurred. However, there was more bacterial transfer to the rim of the plastic cup than the liquid inside the cup.
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