Five-second rule: Whether it’s worth eating food that falls but is quickly picked up, scientists say

There is an opinion that food that falls to the ground but is picked up in less than 5 seconds is still safe. So does the “5-second rule” really work and bacteria do not have time to move onto the fallen food? Popular Science writes that scientists have finally put an end to this long-standing dispute.

In 2003, Jillian Clark, a graduate of the Illinois College of Agricultural Sciences in Chicago, tested the 5-second rule. The experiment was carried out on two types of tiles, smooth and rough, previously contaminated with E. coli. Clarke then threw gummy bears and cookies at them for 5 seconds. The results showed that bacteria were transferred to food very quickly, in just five seconds; This is contrary to popular belief.

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A few years later, Clemson University also tested the 5-second rule. When they dropped a sausage onto a piece of tile contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium, more than 99% of the bacteria was transferred from the tile to the brine in just five seconds. According to food scientist Paul Dawson and his colleagues, they concluded that the 5-second rule is nothing but nonsense.

In 2014, Anthony Hilton, a professor of microbiology at the University of the United Kingdom, repeated the experiment, examining the transfer of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus from various indoor furnishings to toast, pasta, cookies and sticky desserts. Results ranged from 3 to 30 seconds. Scientists found that the longer food remains in contact with the ground, the higher the likelihood of bacterial transfer. According to Hilton, this result showed that the 5-second rule could really work.

This led Donald Schaffner, a food science professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, to conduct an extensive study, the results of which were published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. During the experiments, they examined the transfer of bacteria to four products:

• watermelon;
• bread;
• bread and butter;
• jelly Bean.

A variety of surfaces were also examined, including:

• stainless steel;
• ceramic tiles;
• tree;
• state.

Note that all of these surfaces were contaminated with Enterobacter aerogenes, and scientists recorded the number of bacteria transmitted within 1.5, 30, and 300 seconds. The results show that longer contact times result in greater transmission, but some transmissions occur “instantly” in less than 1 second, thus completely disproving the five-second rule.

According to Charles Gerb, a microbiologist and professor of virology at the University of Arizona, the likelihood of getting sick after eating food that touches the ground depends on a number of factors, including:

• degree of pollution;
• type of bacteria present.

Previously Focus He wrote that scientists had found the source of a deadly disease in food.

Important! This article is based on, and does not conflict with, the latest scientific and medical research. The text is for informational purposes only and does not contain medical advice. Be sure to consult a doctor to make a diagnosis.