Gaby
For ages, people have joked that food is safe if it’s on the floor for five seconds or less. Some even argue that ten seconds isn’t a big deal. But what do scientists think?
Short answer: it depends on two things — the type of food and where it fell. That’s how researchers usually answer the question.
For example, moist foods like watermelon or meat dishes pick up bacteria much faster than dry foods like chips or cookies. Experts also agree: the less time food spends on the ground, the better. Let’s dig in a bit more.
So, is the five-second rule a myth or a fact?
Bathrooms and kitchens do harbor a lot of bacteria, but a recent study found there aren’t really any safe spots in our homes. Even in an average living room, around 400 types of microbes can be found. Many of them are brought in on water tracked from sidewalks.
Even if you rinse dropped food under running water, bacteria can still cling to it. Whether food has been on the floor for five seconds or for longer, bacteria can still remain attached.
The five-second rule is a myth, says Wendy LeBrett, a physician and gastroenterology researcher at the University of California. So where did this idea come from?
Some believe the five-second rule goes back to the Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan. Reportedly, he required guests at his banquets to eat food that had fallen on the floor, according to the Daily Mail.
Another story pins the idea on chef Julia Child. During her 1963 television show, she picked up a pancake that had fallen on the stove and told viewers it was still safe to eat.
What are the dangers of food from the floor?
In 2016, researchers at Rutgers University tested the five-second rule experimentally. They measured bacterial transfer to four types of food: watermelon, bread, oiled bread, and gummy candies.
After five seconds on the floor, watermelon picked up the most bacteria (97 percent). Bread had slightly less (94 percent), oiled bread had 82 percent, and gummy candies picked up 62 percent.
Scientists warn that harmful bacteria exist on many surfaces in our homes, and they can easily end up on our food. That includes cases when food falls on the floor and comes into contact with a large number of bacteria.
In fact, bacteria can attach to food in less than a second. Our meals act like magnets for pathogens. Species such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria can cause digestive problems and food poisoning. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
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Even though studies show how quickly bacteria attach to food, dietitian Donald Schaffner from Rutgers University thinks people will probably keep trusting the five-second rule. People want it to be true, he says. After all, many assume everyone eats food off the floor when no one is watching.
Paul Dawson, a dietitian at Clemson University, says people historically had little knowledge about microorganisms and their links to human disease. So eating food that had fallen was probably not taboo; people couldn’t see bacteria, and if they wiped off visible dirt, they thought everything would be fine.
Modern scientists urge a more cautious approach to this outdated practice. The longer food remains on the ground, the more dangerous bacteria it will attract.
