The CRECHE study: testing the urban myth that chocolate Santa Clauses are re-wrapped Easter Bunnies

Dirk Stengel; Alexander Hönning; Stephan Just; Sven Mutze; Axel Ekkernkamp; Tobias Ohmann; Hajo Haase; Patric Kröpil; Leonie Gölz

doi:10.5694/mja2.51346

The CRECHE study: testing the urban myth that chocolate Santa Clauses are re-wrapped Easter Bunnies

Med J Aust. 2021 Dec 13;215(11):531-535. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51346.

Authors

Dirk Stengel¹, Alexander Hönning², Stephan Just³, Sven Mutze⁴, Axel Ekkernkamp³, Tobias Ohmann⁵, Hajo Haase⁶, Patric Kröpil⁵, Leonie Gölz⁴

Affiliations

¹ BG Kliniken: Klinikverbund der gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung gGmbH, Berlin, Germany.
² Centre for Clinical Research, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
³ BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin gGmbH, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Radiology and Neuroradiology, BG Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
⁵ BG Klinikum Duisburg, Duisburg, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Food Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 34897722
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51346

Abstract

Objective: To test the urban myth that surplus chocolate Easter Bunnies are re-packaged as Santa Clauses for the following Christmas holiday season.

Design: Prospective radiographic cohort study of seasonal chocolate figurines, supplemented by anonymous 5-item questionnaire survey of belief in the re-wrapping myth (Generic Risk Items Noted by Chocolate consumers in Health care settings; GRINCH).

Setting: Two tertiary referral trauma centres in Germany (Berlin and Duisburg).

Participants: Eighteen chocolate Easter Bunnies and 15 chocolate Santa Clauses from different manufacturers purchased during 2020; 502 randomly selected people passing through the entrance halls of the two hospitals during 16 September - 12 October 2020.

Main outcome measures: Whole body computed tomography (WBCT) images of chocolate Easter Bunnies and Santa Clauses assessed by four independent, board-certified radiologists using a visual contour resemblance scale (CRS); survey participants' views on statements related to the re-wrapping myth.

Results: Expert examiners clearly distinguished the WBCT images of chocolate Easter Bunnies and Santa Clauses; the mean difference in CRS was 84.2 points (95% CI, 78.5-90.0 points), with excellent inter-observer agreement (mean intra-class correlation coefficient, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1.00). A total of 214 survey participants (43%) disagreed and 145 (29%) agreed with the proposition that seasonal chocolate figurines are re-packaged and re-sold the following season.

Conclusion: Although about one-third of our survey respondents did not rule out the possibility of seasonal sweets being re-used, WBCT imaging found no similarity between chocolate foil-wrapped Easter and Christmas figurines, providing solid evidence against this urban myth. Chocolate Santa Clauses are unlikely to pose a significant threat to hospital food hygiene requirements.

Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN16847363 (prospective).

Keywords: Computed tomography; Food quality; Food safety; Humor; Hygiene; Patient safety; Surveys and questionnaires.

MeSH terms

Holidays*
Humans
Seasons
Wit and Humor as Topic