In a time where our country is severely divided after this election, I think we all need to take time and focus on our real problems. More specifically, we need to agree on whether or not to abide by the 5 second rule. Take for example this scenario: you’re about to indulge on the last chicken wing, but tragedy strikes before you can eat it! The wing slips out of your hand and time seems to slow down as you watch what could’ve been fall to tile as you listen to the sound of food angels crying. I would bet that nearly everyone has been in a similar situation, but does anyone know whether or not to eat their floor food?
To understand the reign of the “5 second rule” we must understand the origin of the rule. Unfortunately, no one is really sure where or when it came about but it has been referenced throughout history! Genghis Khan is believed to preach that food is safe after being on the ground; he is recorded to have gone as far as to say “Even after 5 hours food is safe”! Whether or not he is the origin of the rule is uncertain, but the rule has been passed down for generations as a simple folklore. In summary, as long as people have dropped food on the floor people have justified its rescue if saved in under 5 seconds.
Previously, the rule has been questioned and has been the subject of countless scientific studies yielding various results. The most recent large scale test was performed by Rutgers University. The study ultimately found that the rule is bogus. The research team found that regardless of how fast you pick up any food on any surface it will have bacteria on it. However, it found that carpet slowed the bacteria transfer the most but did not prevent germ transfer. The study was published in September of this year (2016) and quickly went viral across social media.
While Rutgers debunked the myth, Aston University in England researched the limitations of it! Officially, when the study was published in 2014 it concluded that the 5 second rule is real. However, while it may conflict with other studies their arguments are compelling and what they found out about germ transfer is remarkable. The biggest discovery they made is that the transfer time depends on whether or not the food is “wet” or “dry”. For instance, if you drop a M&M and pick it up within 5 seconds, you are at the mercy of what dust is on the floor. On the other hand if you drop something with juices or “wet” like a piece of watermelon you are more likely to have contracted more germs and bacteria!
With so much information about the dangers of abusing the 5 second rule, why do we still shout it out before stuffing fumbled chips into our mouth? Well psychology studies have found that we entertain the act because while we know it’s wrong and unsanitary, the phrase gives social acceptance for doing the wrong thing thus attracting us to it. In fact, 87% of people asked have admitted to eating food off of the floor. Of that 87%, it was determined that the split was about 70%-30%, meaning that men are more likely to eat the floor food and admit it. The last statistic the psychology study found was that people are more likely to pick up and eat sweet foods like cookies as opposed to picking up a piece of broccoli which is more likely to be thrown away!
In conclusion, technically you shouldn’t eat food off of the floor, and it has the potential to get you very sick. However, if you drop a cookie on the ground and decide to eat it, don’t be ashamed just keep in mind that you are gambling with your immune system. Also remember that it’s not gambling if you win!