"As for the potential for harm were someone to attempt such a contamination, it's non-existent. The HIV virus does not long survive outside its host medium of human bodily fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, saliva, tears. (Which is not to say HIV can be transmitted by every one of those Ñ according to the Centers for Disease Control (aka the CDC), "Contact with saliva, tears, or sweat has never been shown to result in transmission of HIV.") The CDC says except under laboratory conditions, HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host Ñ it therefore, does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host. Therefore, were HIV-tainted blood to be mixed into a condiments vat, the virus would neither survive nor while it was still viable multiply and so replenish itself. "
Hairy Houdini
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 | 06:33 PM
Perhaps Sandy owns a packaged ketchup factory? Fess up, Sandy
Sandy
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 | 08:11 PM
received it from my daughter in law who received it from, received it from, etc., and she is new to this kind of chain mail and i could not find anything at snopes on it and wanted to let her know that it was false, or so i thought. I kno the virus dies quickly and anyone would be totally retarded to open or use a pkg of ketchup that was already open, but then sometimes children will pick up stuff and to their mouths it goes and they operate like lightening, so there is a minute chance possible...
Sandyh
Terry Austin
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 | 11:35 AM
No, Sandy, there isn't a minute possible chance. Carefully read the quote I posted. Even if someone put HIV infected blood in to ketchup, there is zero chance of infection.
Mandy
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 | 12:09 PM
What about Mustard?
Hairy Houdini
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 | 06:54 PM
Those are contaminated with rodent droppings...surely you heard the warning about the Mouse-turd?
Sandy
Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 | 05:28 PM
Oh Houdini, u made a funny, Mouse=turd, don't really like mustard that much, now i hate it, ROTFL
Maegan
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 | 11:33 AM
I knew a kid in school who at ketchup packets for the entire lunch period.
if you had HIV, why would you put your blood in ketchup? seems a bit mean.
Sandy
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 | 07:12 PM
Duhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Big Gary
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 | 07:03 PM
Ketchup is largely venegar and salt, both of which have the capacity to kill the HIV virus, so the risk is nonexistent.
Same for mustard.
Even maynonnaise is probably much too acid for most pathogens to survive long.
Big Gary
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 | 07:03 PM
Oops, I meant to type "vinegar and salt."
Darian S.K Harder
Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 | 01:33 PM
If Vinegar "both of which have the capacity to kill the HIV virus", shouldn't the CDC be informed? There's a cure in there somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Gary
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 | 12:13 AM
No, Darian, they can kill the virus in a dish (or in a packet or container of Ketchup or Mustard). If you transfused enough vinegar (or ketchup) into a human's blood to kill HIV, you would also kill the patient.
Frankus
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 | 03:54 PM
A) you would taste it if it was in the ketchup
B) Blood looks NOTHING like ketchup
C) You would have seen him putting blood into the container
D) They replace the containers every morning cuz they are empty, so like, you couldn't do it...
Blythe
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 | 01:41 PM
Big Gary,
In your opinion, would a saline solution kill the HIV virus?
My son visited the eye doctor to get fitted for contacts. I'm a tad concerned because the instructor had my son remove his contacts and place them in the contacts "container" that was already filled with saline solution. He next reinserted the contacts into his eyes. He had to put in/take out the contacts two times before he "passed" the class. I assumed this was my son's case to take home, but when the appointment ended, the instructor kept the case. I assume for the next patient instruction. I assume she would throw it away or clean it before the next patient, but now i'm worried...........