The "Five-Second Rule" Is Actually True!

According to scientists


Article heading image for The "Five-Second Rule" Is Actually True!
IMAGE - Richard Munckton / Flickr 

The so-called 'five-second' rule for dropped food is correct, according to scientists. A survey of 2,000 people found a whopping 79% of us admit to eating food that has fallen on the floor.

And while for many years we have hoped this is safe, science has now confirmed it almost always is.

Germ expert Professor Anthony Hilton, from Aston University, said: "Eating food that has spent a few moments on the floor can never be entirely risk-free.

"Obviously, food covered in visible dirt shouldn't be eaten, but as long as it's not obviously contaminated, the science shows that food is unlikely to have picked up harmful bacteria from a few seconds spent on an indoor floor.

"That is not to say that germs can't transfer from the floor to the food.

"Our research has shown that the nature of the floor surface, the type of food dropped on the floor and the length of time it spends on the floor can all have an impact on the number that can transfer."

15 March 2017




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