What proof is in your Christmas pudding? Is caring under the influence possible?

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Toxicology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Christmas pudding is a traditional dessert often containing ethanol.
• Concerns may arise regarding the potential impact of residual ethanol on individuals in safety-critical professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the ethanol concentration in commercially available Christmas puddings.
• To estimate the resulting blood alcohol content (BAC) in healthcare professionals after consumption.

Main Methods:

• Christmas pudding samples underwent fractional distillation to determine ethanol content.
• Pharmacological and physiological models were used to predict BAC in typical male and female healthcare professionals.

Main Results:

• Ethanol concentration per 125mg slice ranged from 0.260g to 1.685g.
• Predicted BAC for male and female healthcare professionals ranged from 0.001-0.004 g/dL and 0.001-0.006 g/dL, respectively.
• No predicted BAC exceeded 0.000 g/dL by the end of a 30-minute lunch break.

Conclusions:

• Christmas puddings retain ethanol post-cooking.
• The negligible BAC increase from consuming Christmas pudding is unlikely to compromise healthcare worker performance or safety.