{"id":6554,"date":"2023-08-15T19:15:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T12:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6554"},"modified":"2023-08-15T19:15:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T12:15:01","slug":"why-experts-say-the-five-second-rule-is-total-b-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6554","title":{"rendered":"Why Experts Say the Five-Second Rule Is Total B.S."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">P<\/span>OV: You accidentally drop a chocolate-covered almond on the floor, and before you have a chance to *really* think about it, you pick it up and confidently pop it in your mouth. No big deal, right? <em>Thanks, five-second rule\u2014you striketh again<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Well, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microbac.com\/food-safety-testing-consulting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.microbac.com\/food-safety-testing-consulting\">Trevor Craig<\/a>, a food safety expert and corporate director of technical training and consulting at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microbac.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.microbac.com\/\">Microbac Laboratories<\/a>, you may want to think twice about eating something that has fallen on the ground&#8230;because the five-second rule is, alas, total rubbish (pun intended).<\/p>\n<p>That said: Why is it, after all those years of swearing by this unspoken \u201claw,\u201d that most of us haven\u2019t <em>actually<\/em> gotten sick from eating something off the ground? According to the food safety expert, our bodies generally can fend us from most germs\u2026but not all. Ahead we delve into why the five-second rule isn\u2019t (totally) valid and why it&#8217;s safer (at least on paper) to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/dirty-dozen-list-2018-produce-contamination\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/dirty-dozen-list-2018-produce-contamination\/\">avoid food that\u2019s been potentially contaminated<\/a> to prevent illness.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><strong>The five-second rule: f<\/strong><strong>act or fiction?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ll cut right to the chase. According to Craig, the five-second rule is 100 percent fiction. \u201cBacteria can transfer immediately; there\u2019s no biological rule to hold back bacteria,\u201d Craig says. That\u2019s to say: Contact with a contaminated surface is a surefire way of instantly (!) transferring bacteria from one place to another. \u201cBacteria do sometimes have capabilities to move by themselves\u2014though it&#8217;s not like they are moving very quickly\u2014but they <em>are<\/em> able to transfer from surface to surface almost instantly, which is critical to how bacteria and contamination occurs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cBacteria can transfer immediately; there\u2019s no biological rule to hold back bacteria,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While we\u2019ve been led to believe that five seconds was too short for bacteria to make its move, this definitely <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> the case. In fact, according to the food safety expert, bacteria tends to love food just as much as we do. \u201cJust like we need food to provide us with nutrients, energy, and water to live, so do bacteria. Most food is perfect breeding and growing potential for bacteria, and more since bacteria can transfer almost instantly between touched surfaces,\u201d Craig says. Basically, the attraction between bacteria and our fallen food is a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/\" current-title=\"Here\u2019s What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Something off the Floor, According to a Food Safety Expert\" current-image=\"five-second-rule-ice-cream-on-floor-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-15\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/five-second-rule\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Of course, bacteria aren&#8217;t only found on dirty floors\u2014or on dirty anything. It&#8217;s all around us. \u201cBacteria are transferred everywhere, including human bodies. The good thing about bacteria is that most of them are not dangerous, and living bodies typically have immune systems to help fight off most bacteria; in fact, some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-with-good-bacteria\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-with-good-bacteria\/\">bacteria can fight <em>off<\/em> other bacteria<\/a>, which is the concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gut-bacteria-and-mental-health\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gut-bacteria-and-mental-health\/\">probiotics and good gut health<\/a>,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The good thing about bacteria is that most of them are not dangerous, and living bodies typically have immune systems to help fight off most bacteria; in fact, some bacteria can fight <em>off<\/em> other bacteria, which is the concept of probiotics and good gut health.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>TL; DR: While the majority of bacteria <em>are<\/em> harmless, there are some exceptions and types of bacteria or viruses that <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> easy to fight off. (Because some can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/foods-most-likely-to-cause-food-poisoning\/\">produce toxins that make you sick<\/a>.) \u201cFood doesn\u2019t have an &#8216;immune system,&#8217; so once exposed to bacteria, a food product can support its growth and can then pass it onto the next thing that touches or ingests it,\u201d Craig says. (It is worth noting that some foods have bacteria, ingredients, or conditions that don\u2019t support growth or prevent the growth of more harmful bacteria, such as certain high-acidic ingredients like vinegar.)<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Okay, but does longer exposure mean more contamination?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes and no. According to Craig, rather than focusing on how long foods have been on the ground, you\u2019re better off focusing on what type of exposure you\u2019re dealing with and how long it&#8217;s been on the food itself (after contamination). \u201cWashing off food after dropping something can remove some of the bacteria and lower the risk, but not everything can be washed, and that won\u2019t eliminate the risk,\u201d he says. \u201cThe longer the bacteria are on the food, the more it has a chance to grow in numbers and spread.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Contamination can happen anywhere (not just on the floor)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Accessing the risk of cross-contamination can be tricky, so it\u2019s important to go about it on a case-by-case basis. \u201cThink of the surface and what that looks like and how it\u2019s treated. You and a restaurant should be pretty good about regularly cleaning tables, and the risk should be low,\u201d Craig says. While he notes that although you may clean the kitchen countertops frequently, it\u2019s also a high-traffic area of your home where you handle other foods (cross-contamination opportunity) or where you put a lot of random stuff\u2014grocery bags, purses, and mail. In short: Kitchen counters may be even more prone to contamination than other surfaces around the house.<\/p>\n<p>But why do floors typically get the bad rap? Well, they\u2019re the *most* susceptible to tons of bacteria coming from all angles. \u201cA floor is unlikely to be cleaned as often and is exposed to everything on your feet, your family, and your pets which are probably also exposed to everything outside, and that makes its risk\u2014and grossness\u2014factor much higher,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ultimately, the risk is yours to take (or not)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although finding out that the five-second rule is B.S. might be shocking for many of us, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that we must completely change how we live our lives&#8230;of course. Even Craig, a food safety expert (emphasis on the expert), says he may eat something that\u2019s fallen every now and then. \u201cI don\u2019t always follow my own advice and have eaten things I\u2019ve dropped at times. I\u2019ve popped a few almonds in my mouth after dropping them,\u201d he says. But it all depends on what it is and how he\u2019s \u201ctreating\u201d it after. \u201cI\u2019ve dropped slices of onion on the floor, washed them off, and then used them to cook.&#8221; (Of course, high temperatures can also lend a helping hand in eliminating some bacteria.)<\/p>\n<p>That said, it\u2019s important to understand that consuming anything that\u2019s been potentially contaminated comes with risk\u2014it\u2019s just a matter of deciding whether or not it\u2019s one worth taking. \u201cIt isn\u2019t guaranteed that eating something off the floor will make you sick by any means,\u201d Craig says. However, he still recalls the time he dropped a popsicle\u2014it was the last one\u2014in the park a few years ago. Craig says he of course threw it away (along with, sadly, his good mood for the day), but that he still wonders whether or not he should have five-second-ruled it. &#8220;But an ice pop? Better safe than sorry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POV: You accidentally drop a chocolate-covered almond on the floor, and before you have a chance to *really* think about it, you pick it up and confidently pop it in your mouth. No big deal, right? Thanks, five-second rule\u2014you striketh again. Well, according to Trevor Craig, a food safety expert and corporate director of technical &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}