Science debunks the 5-second rule (VIDEO)
Scientists disprove the 5-second-rule. It turns out your food can be contaminated in much less time.
Not familiar with the five-second rule? Well congratulations for being the most hygienic person here.
For those uninitiated, the five-second rule is the belief that food can hit the floor for up to five full seconds (sometimes more depending on who you are talking to) without becoming contaminated.
But now a bunch of San Diego State researchers and Clorox want to ruin the five-seconds-of-fun with their facts and statistics.
Facts like, dried fruit can pick up dangerous bacteria in under five seconds, while pasta can pick up dangerous bacteria in just three.
To come to their conclusion that the five-second-rule is mere myth, the group dropped baby carrots on different surfaces, including a countertop, a kitchen sink, a table, a high chair tray and both a carpeted and tiled floor, according to ABC.
The group found the countertop to be the dirtiest surface, followed closely by the carpet and tile floor.
"We wanted to know if there was any truth to the theory that bacteria need time to attach to surfaces of fallen food or commonly dropped items like sippy cups," Dr. Scott Kelley, Associate Professor of Biology at San Diego State University, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, for those of us who lived by that rule, it looks like a total myth – five seconds is all it takes."
If you live the five-second lifestyle you are not alone.
According to the study's survey of 500 moms and dads across the country, 65 percent of parents admitted to following the 5-second rule in their home, according to PRNewswire.
Mythbusters also took on the five-second rule. Watch their results here:
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?