A professor has had his say on the almost universal rule…
The 5-second-rule has been used by people for generations in an effort to stop their clumsiness in handling foods from making them go hungry.
For example, you and your mates are eating some sausage rolls when, to your horror, the last one slips from your grasp and falls to the floor.
But luckily, it is perfectly acceptable to shout out “5-SECOND-RULE” and pick the sausage roll up as if nothing had happened… you can even extend this to “10-second-rule” in rare circumstances.
However, while this may be a social norm, it’s not considered sound logic by Dr. Paul Dawson, professor of food science at Clemson University.
A study conducted by the University back in 2007 showed that the length of time the food was in contact with the surface mattered less than the amount of bacteria on the surface.
In other words, if your food falls on a dirty floor, no matter how cat-like your reflexes are, it’s going to have just as many bacteria as if it fell for 20 seconds rather than just 3 seconds.
But the type of surface your food falls on according to Dr. Dawson writing for Quartz.
“Carpets, for instance, seem to be slightly better places to drop your food than wood or tile. When carpet was inoculated with Salmonella, less than 1 per cent of the bacteria were transferred. But when the food was in contact with tile or wood, 48-70 per cent of bacteria transferred,” he said.
Dr. Dawson said that if there are millions of different bacteria and microorganisms on the area the food is dropped onto, 0.1 per cent of these cells are still enough to make you sick.
In short, you’re taking a big risk any time you use the 5-second-rule, is it worth it?
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
