The truth about the 5 second rule

If you’ve ever found yourself diving after a dropped chocolate-chip cookie shouting ‘quick the 5 second rule, grab it’, you’re not alone.

It’s a food-lovers unspoken rule of thumb.

There’s nothing worse than having to throw away anything delicious, especially if the only reason for it is you being super clumsy.

But sadly, the rule - which makes us believe it’s safe to eat food from the floor if it’s been less than 5 seconds – is complete bogus.

A recent experiment has discovered the guideline is a total myth.

Turns out, there isn’t actually a window of time where it’s safe to eat food that may have fallen on the floor, because bacteria 'transfers almost instantly'.

Channel 4 TV show How To Stay Well tested the theory by dropping slices of carrot cake on the floor – some in a kitchen and some outside on the pavement.

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Some were left for 5 seconds, others for 30 – an all were sent off to a lab to be tested for germs.

The results were analysed by microbiologist Professor Laura Bowater from the University of East Anglia, who went on to shatter the hopes of clumsy people everywhere.

She found that regardless of whether the cake was on the floor for 5 or 30 seconds, it picked up the same bacteria.

Damn!

As you’d expect the pieces from outside were worse compared to the ones from the kitchen floor. And she also highlighted that wet food was likely to pick up more bacteria.

So maybe we can still get away with the crackers?

“None of the bacteria found on any of the cake would make a healthy adult or toddler sick,” Professor Bowater clarified.

“But as the number of bacteria increases, so does the risk of eating a harmful one.”

Best to try not to drop your food in the first place.

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