The Five-Second Rule really a Rule

We’ve all done it before: drop a delicious morsel of food meant to be eaten. What do you do? Do you just watch it sit on the ground and cry? No! You rush to pick it up and exclaim, “FIVE SECOND RULE!” and then blissfully pop it into your mouth.

Why do we do this? Do we really think it’s clean if it’s been on the floor for less than five seconds? Probably not. We do it because we want to eat that damn piece of food, and we didn’t want it to go to waste. However, a new study has shown that the five second rule isn’t just a myth:

Researchers at the University of Illinois say the so-called “5-Second Rule” isn’t a myth. They say when you drop food on the floor, it’s still safe to eat if you pick it up within five seconds.

That’s because it takes at least that long for germs to devour dropped food. Sticky food though, will pick up bacteria faster than dry food.

They say that with sticky or wet food or food fallen on a carpet, all bets are off. But it’s good to know I can eat that potato chip that fell on the kitchen floor.

» via Waff

Tagged: Food, Five Second Rule