ANOTHER UPDATE TO THE “FIVE-SECOND RULE”

The “five second rule,” which states that if you pick food up quickly enough, it’s still edible and will do you no harm, has another addendum. A study in 2016 claimed that transfer of bacteria can begin in less than one second. But researchers at the University of Aston, in Birmingham, UK, claim they’ve found that the five second rule might, in certain instances, be safe and it could actually be extended to half an hour. Germ expert Professor Anthony Hilton claims the rule depends on the nature of the floor surface and the type of food dropped. They tested the theory using using different foods on indoor floor surfaces containing 10 million bacteria, including carpet, linoleum and tiles. They found that dry foods like cookies, chocolate, pretzels and even sandwiches can be eaten from the floor after spending 30 minutes on a tiled or laminate floor, with little increased risk of germs. But, when it comes to moist foods like pasta, fries, doughnuts, or toast that falls buttered-side down, the five-second rule is still worth sticking to as moist foods transfer more bacteria from the floor if left for more than five seconds.
* Thank you, Professor Duh.
* They’ve even done studies about why toast always seems to fall butter-side down.
* See, there’s where I win by putting butter on both sides.
* What if, after you pick up the food, you spray it with hand sanitizer?
* Pasta? Any word on how to get spaghetti sauce out of carpet?
* I don’t like that phrase “the five second rule.” It reminds me too much of my wedding night.
* I think the takeaway here is don’t drop food on the floor, you clumsy slob.
* And don’t eat it ON the floor, like David Hasselhoff drunk with the burger.
* “Here’s the good news: In the study you’ll be eating cookies, chocolate and pretzels. Now the bad news: We’re dropping them on the floor first.”