It ’s dinnertime . As you lift your fork , a piece of alimentary paste come off and hits the floor . Do you blame it up and eat it ?
Many of us will rationalise eat up it with the five - second gear prescript , the common musical theme that a piece of food on the floor for less than five irregular remains safe to eat . Fans ofMythBusterswill point out that Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage proved several years ago that five sec on the floor was enough for tasty bit to attract all sorts of bacteria — but a new study bump that , depend on the type of food and the story you ’ve dropped it on , the five - moment convention works .
Students at Aston University in the United Kingdom , led byAnthony Hilton , a professor of microbiology , looked at whether different type of food would contractE. coliorStaphylococcus aureusif they fall on various types of floors , including tile , linoleum , and carpet . bookman drop wet foods , such as gummy bear and alimentary paste , on the surface . Within five second , the moist food on tile and lino set about showing signs ofE. coliorStaphylococcus aureus . When it arrive to rug , the nutrient could reside for up to 30 bit without any microbes establish up . And ironical foods , such as cookies or pretzels , could sit on any character of floor for up to 30 seconds before bacteria pullulate all over it .
“ Consuming food drop on the floor still comport an transmission risk as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time ; however , the determination of this study will bring some unclouded relief to those who have been employing the five - minute convention for yr , despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth , ” Hilton said .
The students also survey the great unwashed about the likeliness they ’d eat food off the floor . Of the 500 people appraise , 87 percent would or had already consumed food from the floor . Women were more potential to nosh off the floor , with 55 percent feel well-heeled with it and 81 percent adhering to the five - second rule .
" Our subject area showed that a surprisingly big majority of citizenry are happy to consume overlook food for thought , with women the most likely to do so , " Hilton said . " But they are also more potential to follow the 5 second rule , which our enquiry has shown to be much more than an old wife ' tale . ”
