The 5 Second Rule – Dropped Food On The Floor? by Patrice Hall

 The 5 Second Rule – Dropped Food On The Floor?

by Patrice Hall 

 

My whole life I heard about the 5 second rule, which states that dropped food stays safe to eat as long as it is picked up within 5 seconds.  My Mom had a no-second rule, and if she saw us pick food up from the floor and eat it she would give a stern look, and we would throw it out.  Well, maybe my Mom was right, according to an article in allhealthy.com “The Five Second Rule: Does it Actually Hold Up?” According to this article, it depends on the temperature and texture of the food and the surface it falls on. For some foods, the moment it touches the floor it is contaminated with unwanted bacteria. Three separate studies were done which all pointed to the same conclusion, do not eat certain foods off of the floor:

In a controlled environment, 128 scenarios involved dropping watermelon, white bread, white bread with unsalted butter, and Haribo Strawberries gummy candy on stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood, and carpet.

 

At the extremes, watermelon transferred the most bacteria (up to 97%), followed closely by plain white bread (up to 94%). The butter offered a slight barrier, but buttered bread still reached up to 82%. Even the gummy candy — the least absorbent option — hit up to 62% under the worst conditions. Transfer was lower with a fast pickup than with longer contact, but the researchers still measured meaningful transfer in under a second, which is exactly what disproves the five-second rule.

 

There is some uncertainty about the pressure applied or the friction from contact with the contaminated surface, but some research suggests that greater pressure or friction can worsen contamination.

 

So, in conclusion, food dropped on the floor should be tossed, and a rinse will not save it either. I’m a clumsy person, so I have to make sure to be extra careful not to drop my food.  Thanks Mom!

Here is the article: https://allhealthy.com/five-second-rule/

 

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