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| 5 Second Rule |
The results confirmed the 5 second rule myth. They also found out that flooring plays a pretty big role. Carpet was less likely to transfer bacteria, but laminate and tile were very quick at transferring bacteria. They also carried out a survey to see how many people follow this 5 second rule. The survey showed that 87% of people follow the 5 second rule and out of those 87%; 55% are women.
Professor Hilton summarized this research by saying, "Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time; however the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth. We have found evidence that transfer from indoor flooring surfaces is incredibly poor with carpet actually posing the lowest risk of bacterial transfer onto dropped food."
This research really makes me happy, because I usually follow the five second rule, but only in my house. The research also helps us understand microbes a little bit better, because we know now that it takes time for microbes to transfer to places and different conditions allow them to move faster. I also find it interesting that the floor plays a big role on whether you get bacteria in your food or not.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140310102212.htm
Haha this article really makes me laugh because I have always followed the five second rule. My mom always said not to waste food, and was a big sticker to this rule. I never thought about which types of floor would transfer the most bacteria, but I guess hard wood, laminate, or tile floors would make the most sense. Next time I drop any food, I’ll make sure to do it on the carpet so that way the five second rule can be applied. It’s also interesting to point out that I would never, EVER pick up a piece of food at a restaurant, however our homes seem a lot safer to do this. I guess the same types of dangerous bacteria can be just as much on our personal floors as they could on floors of restaurants. It’s truly a disgusting thought, but I was glad to have read more details about this.
ReplyDeleteWow... this article is extremely interesting, like the previous comment everyone seems to do the 5 second rule. The minute I hear this I think of the movie waiting, now working in the food business it truly makes me think of the amount of bacteria now that sticks on your food when you drop it on the floor. It really is interesting how different environments or textures would impact the amount of bacteria that sticks to your food when you drop it! GROSS!!!
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