We've all heard of the Five Second Rule, that food rule that says when you drop a piece of food, as long as you pick it up within five seconds it's still OK to eat. Anything more than five seconds then you should throw it away.
This short film (after the jump) by Sam Lehman shows the two different kinds of the Five Second Rule and how it can be misused. If you drop something on the ground, you have to pick it up within five seconds. However, even if you do pick it up within five seconds, the rule should be thrown out if that food landed in...well, you can see in the video after the jump.
By the way, if you think that a lot of restaurants don't serve you food even after a piece of food has been on the floor for more than five seconds, you're crazy.
2-16-2007 @4:32PM B said... Didn't Mythbusters debunk the five second rule? What they determined is the only factors that are relevant are the stickiness of the food and the cleanliness of the what it landed on.
When I was in high school, I worked in a bagel shop. One morning, when I was loading the bagels into the display case, I dropped one on the floor. Since two customers were watching me, I went to throw it away when my boss said "Five second rule put it back in the case." After seeing the look of horror on the customer's faces, I didn't to comply.
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2-16-2007 @6:05PM malren said... Mythbusters absolutely proved the 5 second rule is a complete fallacy. And if I catch a restaurant feeding me something that was dropped on a filthy kitchen floor (and have you ever seen a clean restaurant kitchen floor about an hour after opening?), I will own the place before the night is over. Or I will be kicking someone's ass up into their throat. Probably the latter.
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2-21-2007 @12:54AM jonnyx said... News Flash: From those of us who have worked in restaurants - good, bad, expensive, cheap, and everything in between - please be advised that the five-second rule is in full-effect. Trust me, if that $30 steak gets dropped on the floor, it will go right back on the grill and on to your plate. No restaurant is going to take it in the neck for your sake, especially if the food cost for the item is a lot. If this reality is something you simply cannot live with, don't dine out.
Oh and don't get me started on plated appetizers where there needs to be a fixed number of something on a plate. Do you honestly think we're going to go through the trouble of preparing one extra chicken wing on your order simply because it fell on the floor? Nope, back to fryer for some quick sanitation. Bon appetit!
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2-21-2007 @1:13AM Steve said... Have to agree with jonnyx, Italian places are guilty too, never know about that garlic bread.
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2-21-2007 @7:36AM Richard said... Some restaurants have a 5 minute rule.
Worked in a restaurant once where the waitress dropped a guy's hamburger just as she arrived at the table. The burger was served open-faced, so when it fell, it flipped and landed burger-side down onto a carpet, which was filthy by the way.
She left the burger on the floor while she served the other three customers at the table. She finally picked up the burger, apologized to the guy and promised to rush out a "new" burger.
Well that burger went back to the kitchen where it was dusted off and set under a heat lamp. She waited a few minutes so the guy would think he was getting a new burger, then returned the recycled burger to the table.
I wonder what that guy would think today if he knew that the burger he ate was the same burger that he saw fall onto a dirty carpet and lie there for several minutes, at least.
I almost never eat in restaurants.
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2-21-2007 @11:38AM chadkersey said... I am a manager at a restaurant in Madison, WI. I have seen this while growing up and working as a buss boy and cook at restaurants. It always disgusted me. I have seen managers (not at my current job) guilty of these and in front of like 7 hispanic cooks and wow the look of horror on the other cooks faces, they even knew it was wrong.
Now I have been a manager/Kitchen Manager/Chef/General Manager over the past 10 years if I see these happen they are fired immediately. I will do it in front of everyone just to prove a point. You are providing a service to your guests and without your guests you would be nothing. One screw up you are doomed.
Have you ever seen the movie Waiting? That sh.; is messed up. That stuff in that movie does not happen.
I couldn't.
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2-22-2007 @2:24AM Coops said... Anyone that follows the 5 second rule believing that the food is actually clean after you drop it for even a second is possiblya tad unedumatcated. That, or they're just stupid.
However, if you drop it on the floor and just don't give a damn, then all the power to you.
For the record, it's the 3 second rule in Australia (woohoo, higher hygiene standards!).
As for standards in restaurants, they definitely aren't that great. The place I used to work at had a habit of "recycling" the garnishing. They also used to "recycle" a curry dish if it was left largely unfinished. Nice.
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2-22-2007 @6:45AM Martin Bingham said... To number 7. I eat the garnishes. They are salad.
7. Anyone that follows the 5 second rule believing that the food is actually clean after you drop it for even a second is possiblya tad unedumatcated. That, or they're just stupid.
However, if you drop it on the floor and just don't give a damn, then all the power to you.
For the record, it's the 3 second rule in Australia (woohoo, higher hygiene standards!).
As for standards in restaurants, they definitely aren't that great. The place I used to work at had a habit of "recycling" the garnishing. They also used to "recycle" a curry dish if it was left largely unfinished. Nice.
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2-22-2007 @7:48AM lisagp said... 5 second rule only counts in public if you don't get caught - and when we are camping - we say 30 seconds and throw it back on the fire or if its not meat - call the dogs.
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2-22-2007 @7:56AM Jeff said... I worked in the resteraunt business for most of my young adult life, ages 15-20. I can tell you, some resteraunts are good about throwing away whatever fell on the floor, and others aren't. For those resteraunts that didn't throw food away that fell on the floor, it went right back into the fryer, or back onto the grill. Never did it go from floor to plate.
Now, with that said, yes, the thought of eating something that fell on the floor to most people is very disagreeable, but, if you stop to think about it, what germ is going to survive a 400 degree deep fat fryer?? NONE! What germ is going to survive being seared on a 450 degree grill?? NONE!
Now, run along....
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2-22-2007 @7:58AM Brittney said... To number 2. Do you really think you're that good to find out if someone dropped something on the floor and served it to you? Haha.. yea right.
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2-22-2007 @8:24AM qtgothot said...
The five second rule is just a joke---kidding, like kids---
What really works is,"kissing it up to God," (That is when you make the sign of the cross, with the piece of food then kiss it and point it skyward)---You then have ablessing, from God, that the food is ok, to eat!
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2-22-2007 @8:16AM magellandax said... While there are questionable operators using questionable practices in any business, most restaurants consider the safety of its food as its number one priority. Even if the five-second rule were legitimate, the risk to food safety is too great, not to mention the aesthetics of the action. As a manager in a restaurant, the safety of our food is a priority. Food safety and sanitation is stressed from day one of training.
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2-22-2007 @8:37AM MARK MITCHELL said... Ya better check that "garnish" on yur steak.....or..
....are ya sure that's pepper on my lamb chops ? ? ! !
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2-22-2007 @8:39AM Syl said... I teach Kindergarten. What I have seen kids eat, touch, cough , sneeze , fingers in mouth then to food they trade with other kids (although we HAVE a NO Sharing Food rule) , the least of my worries is restaurants!
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2-22-2007 @8:56AM SNUFFY said... The 5 second rule should only be used in the privacy of your own kitchen & only if it's Oreo cookies
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2-22-2007 @9:23AM Wyldsyde said... Luckily everything we drop in our restaurants, always lands on a napkin. Its incredible, then you just pick it up and replate it. No worse for wear. And to the guy who said he would Own the whole place if his food was dropped on the floor. Are you that dumb? I am suing you for everything cause you dropped my food duh. Come on.
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2-22-2007 @9:34AM Chad said... In response to steaks being on the ground then back on the grill, or a plated appetizer where one wing, mozz stick drops...
"400 degrees will kill anything" j/k
I own a restaurant and any time I have found anyone that follows the five second rule I have immediately fired no questions asked. However, my strict stance has led to me cooking alone a time or two.
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2-22-2007 @9:45AM Deborah said... Perhaps when the waiter drops your burger on the floor, before they go back "to get you a new one", you should insist on holding on to the old one or mashing the old one so that it is definately unusable.
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2-22-2007 @9:55AM neukaferlieber said...
People need to stop being so anal.How do you think you build immune resistance to germs and bacteria if you aren't exposed to low doses of them daily.The chemicals used to sanitize our daily life will kill us before a little dirt. Ever let a dog lick your face?
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