One of the most popular and long-lived old wives' tales is known as the "5-second
rule". The "rule" stipulates that food that has fallen on the floor is still safe to eat if you pick it
up within five seconds of it hitting the ground. It has been around for many, many years, propagating itself on school
playgrounds across the country and possibly even the world. Variations exist, shortening the rule to 3 seconds or
expanding it to 10, but the basic theory remains. Unfortunately, it isn't true, as the Sacramento Bee's Lisa Heyamoto
found out.
While some people, from 3 to 93, will continue to believe in the truth of this tale, the reality is that most surfaces are covered with germs and bacteria and floors are no exception. Drier foods, like cookies or a bagel, are less likely to pick up unsavory particles than wetter foods, like meat and cheese. Of course, we are all coming into contact with bacteria every day, whether we're cleaning our counter with a kitchen sponge (bacteria breeding ground) or giving our pets a pat. There is very little that can be done to avoid all contact. Ms. Heyamoto reminds us not to believe that we're "safe" when we follow the rule, but that your comfort level with what your food comes into contact with is subjective. The kitchen floor? Sure. The sidewalk outside your office? Perhaps not.
You can't go wrong following the other food rule: "When in doubt, throw it out!"
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