Cookie down! You immediately pick it up, brush it off, and eat it. Why? The 5 second rule!
This so-called rule claims food is OK to eat if you pick it up in 5 seconds or less. This rule is an excuse for people to save their favorite food, the most expensive food, or in hope that it wards off sickness.
Do people seriously go by the 5-Second Rule?
According the New York Times, “Anthony Hilton, a professor of microbiology at Aston University, said a survey of nearly 500 people found 81 percent of women said they followed the rule — they would not eat anything that lingered on the floor — compared with 64 percent of men, the magazine.”
The composition of the food and the type of surface it falls on are factors that determine whether someone decides to eat what has fallen.
I think we can all agree, it seems safer to eat a gummy bear than a piece of watermelon that has hit the ground. We think its fine to eat because a gummy bear is hard and not dewy like a piece of watermelon.
Think about this…
According to a University of Arizona study, “the average office desk harbors hundreds of times more germs than the average office toilet seat.”
Now is this rule actually legit?
Just because germs are invisible, doesn’t mean that they aren’t swamping all over the floor. No fallen food can escape contamination completely.
Pawl Dawson, a food scientist at Clemson University, claims that, “The length of time food spends on the floor does increase the amount of bacteria that latches on. Also, specific food-floor combinations (especially moist food on tile) result in a greater transfer of germs. But regardless of the snack-surface specifics, a significant amount of unhealthful gunk jumps from the ground to your food pretty much instantaneously.”
Whether the 5-Second Rule is true or not, some people just don’t care!
Do SJU students believe in the 5-Second Rule? Let’s find out who does.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Sm2Dh8TBP6s
