Food that falls to the ground for less than 5 seconds is not contaminated enough for bacteria to attach, so it can still be eaten safely.
Is the 5-Second Rule Real?
According to the Guardian, the “5-second rule” is based on an unfounded belief that bacteria will not attack food within 5 seconds, so you won’t get sick if you eat food picked up within that timeframe.
The first person to explore this “mystery” was an American high school student named Jillian Clarke. She and her classmates tested cookies placed on moist ground and dry tiles contaminated with E. coli bacteria, which can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. The results showed that bacteria infected the food before the 5 seconds were up, and food on the moist ground was contaminated faster than that on dry tiles.
The “5-second rule” has been proven to be false. (Photo: WordPress).
Paul Dawson, a food science professor at Clemson University in the United States, has conducted research on the “5-second rule” for many years. In a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, he stated that the cleanliness of the surface is more important than how long the food has been there. In experiments with bread and noodles, the professor found that food on moist ground was contaminated with 70% bacteria, while the contamination rate on dry tiles was only 1%. A similar study from Aston University in the UK indicated that food would be attacked by bacteria as soon as it touched the floor, and the number of bacteria would increase tenfold if the floor was wet.
Professor Dawson concluded that the “5-second rule” is not real. If food falls in an area with bacteria, you can still get sick regardless of the quantity of bacteria present. Especially, children and the elderly should not follow this rule because their immune systems may not be strong enough to combat pathogens. If you must pick up food to eat, do so as quickly as possible and only pick up food that has fallen on carpet, rather than risking it if you know the floor is not clean.
Should You Eat It?
However, there is a reality that not every consumption of contaminated food results in illness. A sufficient quantity of bacteria is needed to overcome the stomach’s acidic environment before they can cause harm.
Whether or not you get infected after eating dropped food depends on many factors.
Food that has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, without needing to fall to the ground, can already start to become contaminated from airborne bacteria.
Even Professor Paul Dawson, who debunked the 5-second myth, admits that in most cases, if you quickly pick up a cookie that just fell on the floor, which may have some dust, it seems to pose little risk to those with a healthy immune system.
His underlying message points to two factors: Time (pick it up quickly) and dry food. However, Dawson also emphasizes that maintaining a clean floor is the most important factor.
Should you eat food that has fallen on the ground? Clearly, Professor Paul Dawson’s insights are not definitive.
Jillian Clarke’s experiment had many shortcomings, such as not distinguishing between types of floors and types of food (dry, wet), but it stirred public opinion. According to polls, 70% of women love the “5-second rule.”
