The Five-Second Rule Is Actually A Thing!

We all know the five-second rule. It’s what we say to make ourselves feel better about eating food that has been dropped on the floor, after all, what damage can be done in as little as five seconds?

Apparently very little, at least according to a leading scientist.

It seems that there is actually something to the five-second rule and that food that has been dropped on the floor for a matter of seconds is actually still safe to eat – great news for all of us with butter fingers!

Professor Anthony Hilton, a germ expert from Aston University, has said that while there’s always going to be some risk when it comes to eating food that has been dropped on the floor, you don’t really need to worry if it touches the floor for a few seconds.

Food that has touched the floor for literally seconds won’t pick up too much bacteria, according to Professor Hilton’s study, so you can feel happy when claiming the five-second rule. However, any longer than that and there is a greater risk of consuming increased amounts of bacteria.

He 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.”

According to his research, the type of floor your food lands on, what you’re eating and how long it stays on the floor all have an impact when it comes to how many germs make it onto your food. This means that it’s probably best to avoid eating toast that you dropped butter side down on carpet or any food that has been on the floor for longer than five seconds.

This is good news for the 79 per cent of people who admit to having eaten food they’ve dropped on the floor and means that you don’t need to be too sad when you drop the sandwich you’ve just finished making or the last Malteser that managed to get away from you.

What do you think, is the five-second rule a thing or does food that ends up on the floor go straight in the bin?