Do you follow the "5 seconds rule" if you dropped your food?

Question

I heard that bacteria takes longer than 5 secconds get on the food, then its considered unsafe. What do you think?

Answer 1

The 5-Second Rule isn't true. If there's living bacteria (or other pathogens) on any surface, floor or otherwise, it will contaminate the food immediately upon contact. Not to mention whatever dirt or cat hairs or other debris might stick to the food.

I work in a couple of different restaurants, and if anything hits the floor---food or cooking utensils---it's out of the game. In the case of a dropped knife or other utensil, it gets washed before it gets used again. Any food is immediately thrown out.

At home, though, the rules are a little more relaxed. If I were to drop an apple on my kitchen floor (which I keep fairly clean), I certainly wouldn't throw away the apple. I'd rinse it off and eat it as usual. If I dropped a piece of buttered bread, and it landed butter-side down, I'd throw THAT away. It would depend on the situation...but at home, if I could salvage the food, I would.

Answer 2

Not at my job, yuck. At home that’s a different story. I never count but if the floor isn’t clean then I won't eat something off it. You know your own floor but do you really want to eat something that has fallen on it? Always interesting to see parents how they tend to eat things that fall on the floor easier. Of course this is usually after they have the 2nd child. The 1st one is always treated with so much more care:) I wonder how I would be with a child and the 5 second rule?

Answer 3

Hey I do myself, sometimes giving the item a good wipe with a piece of clothing. However the mythbuster did a study on this myth....and actually found that even after 5 seconds there was some bacteria on the item. Try to catch the episode if you can.

Answer 4

At the restaurant it was game over if it hit the floor. But at home I do the 2 second rule. And it depends on the food, if I think the floor needed to be mopped soon, stuff like that. If it's washable, I just wash it and go about business.

Answer 5

i use the 2-3 second rule

Answer 6

I've never followed the five second rule because I'm squeamish.

My children however, seem to love that rule when it comes to dropped potato chips or candy!]

I guess it all depends on the person.

Answer 7

NOT TRUE AT ALL! They tried that on this show on TV called Myth Busters. The bacteria gets on your food right away. Just throw it away, its not worth gettin the drizzle shitts for trying to save that peice of beef jerkey you dropped!

Answer 8

The new rule all over yahoo news is that it takes about 30 seconds.

Answer 9

No its better to always wash you friut or unless you cant thow it away......What if a cat hair gets stuck on the food it takes less than 5 seconds!

Answer 10

That mythbusters show tested this and found it to be false. Once food hits the floor, it's game over. Of course, I still eat it if there's nothing on it. It hasn't killed me yet.