Experts warn that the “five-second eating rule” may not be as watertight as some people think.
It can be awful when you drop some delicious food you just bought on the floor, right?
However, many try to justify picking up the object by claiming that the ‘five second rule’ applies.
This bogus legislation states that if your food has been on the floor for less than five seconds, the chance of contamination with bacteria is unlikely.
If you apply this rule, you are no longer condemned and you can pick up your cookie or sandwich and continue eating.
It might not be worth attempting a rescue mission (Adam Gault/Getty Images)
However, a health expert has debunked this idea, revealing that eating dropped food can have life-threatening consequences.
Last month, Dr. Sermed Mezher took on TikTok to challenge the five-second rule.
He began by saying, “If you’ve ever yelled the five-second rule while food was falling on the floor, I’ve got news for you.
A recent survey found that half of people would be satisfied with eating food that has fallen on the floor.
“Scientists named Dawson and colleagues decided to solve this problem once and for all by investigating the transmission of bacteria to food via different surfaces such as wood, tile and carpet.”
Dr. Mezher further said that 99 percent of the colonies present are contaminated by food falling on a tiled surface, while for wooden floors this figure is 50 percent.
(Oliver Helbig/Getty Images)
“But on the carpet, less than 0.5% of the bacteria colonies were actually transferred to the food when picked up in less than five seconds.
“Colony transmission increases the longer food is left out, so the five-second rule doesn’t apply unless it’s on a carpet. But don’t take any chances if you eat off the floor.”
Additionally, the social media star revealed that harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter can survive on floors for up to four weeks.
“These bacteria can survive and multiply in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a variety of symptoms ranging from mild gastroenteritis to serious and potentially life-threatening illness.”
Ruth Frechman, MA, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, also backed up Dr. Mezher’s claims, telling WebMD, “Bacteria are everywhere, and 10 types, including E. coli, cause foodborne illness, such as fever, diarrhea and flu-like symptoms.
She also told the site that “foodborne illnesses can manifest at different times, ranging from 24 hours to a week.”
This means that if you picked up food from the floor last Friday and ate it, and then got sick the following week, you are unlikely to associate the two events.
After TikTok users learned the hard truth behind the “five second rule,” they flocked to debate the debunked theory.
“If I can’t see it, it’s not there,” wrote one determined user.
A second typed: ‘A friend of mine once kicked my sandwich to the ground and then said, ‘Relax, it’s the 5-second rule! ‘
Another commented: “Hey, I just want to make sure my immune system stays up to date.”
