Is the 5/10 second rule ok?

Question

Many people say it isn't but I think it is. Obviously if it has extreme damage done, you dont eat it, but if it doesn't look bad... why not??

Answer 1

Not because it's 5-10 seconds, but because most of the time it's no great problem to eat something that has dropped on the floor. I always pick stuff off the floor, I don't keep clean house (two cats and I don't vacuum that much), I'm 38 years old and I've NEVER ONCE been sick from food! I keep more of a 24hrs rule, if I find a peanut and I had peanuts that day, I'll eat it, if it's more than 24 hours I toss it but only 'cause it's likely to be stale, not because there's cat hairs on it.

I would be more careful in a strange place; resistance works against specific bacteria, so you're more likely to get sick in a strange place than at home -especially when on a holiday. At home your body has already built up defenses against most things that are around!

Funny story; way back when at high school, we'd bought some carrots while camping. Now these weren't the nicely washed & scraped carrots yet you buy at the grocerystore nowadays, they were just, well, carrots, with sand still on 'm and you had to wash them before eating. Someone dropped one on the campground in front of the tent, nice fresh grass, before washing so it was still all sandy anyhow, and she wanted to toss it! I mean, it was a *carrot* and she wanted to toss it because it fell *on the ground*, where'd she think it *came* from? :) :) :)

Answer 2

Dude, if the food is good, I say go for it. I'm never one to sacrifice a good piece of food. Of course, there are some things you just have to let go. And also someone told me about a study done on the 5 second rule. Germs spread, so whatever you dropped would gain more organisms, but it would not be a significant increase, especially a dangerous one, in germs.

Answer 3

You could probably eat dropped food after a day and be fine. You won't get sick just from eating dirt, there is bacteria everywhere most of it won't hurt you. But if you drop it in something serious like raw chicken juice, even the 5 second rule won't save you.

Answer 4

Because it takes less for a second for your food to become infested with bacteria. The 5 second rule is an old wives tale.

Answer 5

People obsess over germs....I eat things that fall on the floor or on the counter all of the time, and I only get a cold 3 or 4 times a year....I think it builds up your immunity.

Answer 6

There is no rule to begin with. Seriously, if it doesn't look bad then just eat the damn thing, people worry so much about germs these days with no real reason.

Answer 7

depends on what floor you dropped the food on and if you know how clean the surface is. If it is your own house and you feel comfortable with it's cleanliness than it is fine for you. I would say if you are elsewhere than you don't know what happens on those floors and it is better to be safe than sorry and never under any circumstances if it lands in bathroom floors but I would hope you are intellegent enough to know that, some people are not

Answer 8

Yes, it's quite fine (primarily for the purposes of making yourself feel better psychologically).

No, it doesn't really get rid of the bacteria/germs but most are going to be harmless anyways unless you're picking it out of something really unsavory.

So, go ahead.

Answer 9

about 2 million germs crawled on that food in less than 5 seconds, but if you don't mind go for it.

Answer 10

I saw on mythbusters, they did this ...... they proved that EWWWW many many gross things get on your food when you drop it. Feces, urine, dog hair/feces/urine, bacteria - loads of it. It was really scary. The 5 second rule went out the door right then and there in my house.