For one of the studies is the Australian medium News.com entered into a partnership with the EarthEcco laboratory, where they work with clinical hygiene in healthcare, among others.
The researchers found that the outside of the popular drink packaging was sometimes ten times as dirty as the recommended amount for your health.
According to the measurements, one of the cans was even dirtier than a toilet seat.
The researchers can measure the amount of bacteria and other microscopic life such as enzymes and fungi in so-called relative light units (RLU). They shine with a special luminometer that lights up the enzyme adenosine triphosphate.
The enzyme is found in almost all living organisms, so we can use it to investigate how much microscopic life there is on a surface.
A US study found that a toilet seat lit up with 984 RLU, while one of the soda cans in the Australian study had a score of a whopping 1146 RLU.
New microorganisms
The researchers agree that the cans pick up bacteria and other grime when they are lifted, transported in large, dirty cargo spaces, and then placed on the shelves where we get them.
Every time a soda can is lifted by a new person, the can comes into contact with new microorganisms that can settle on the surface.
The cans probably sometimes contain traces of faeces – E. coli bacteria – because people don’t wash their hands thoroughly enough after a visit to the toilet.
According to American research, many fungal organisms can also be found on almost all cans.
Use a straw
The soda can with the most molds contained 600 mold colonies.
According to microbiologist Helene Ver Eecke, who conducted some of the studies herself, this is no reason to panic. She explains to the American local medium WFTS Tampa Bay explains that only people with impaired immune function need to be extra careful with the dirty soda cans.
They could clean the can before drinking from it, use a straw, or pour the contents into a glass.