The 5-Second Rule: Is It Legitimate Or Not?

By Stephanie Holmes, 11/23/2017

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We've all been there at some point. You drop a piece of food on the floor and immediately swoop down to pick it up, telling yourself that it's okay to eat as long as you grab it within 5 seconds. Unfortunately, research suggests otherwise.

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Is The 5-Second Rule Legitimate?

Past studies have suggested that 5 seconds is too short of a time for bacteria to transfer to food on a dirty or infected surface. This has led many people to believe that it's perfectly okay to eat food that has fallen on the floor as long as it's picked up within that 5-second window. However, a study published in the American Society for Microbiology's journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, seems to disprove this longstanding theory.