5 Second Rule

Some kid in Texas wrote in and asked:

“Ever think about doing a bit on the infamous ’5 Second Rule’ and how fast germs actually spread into food after it is dropped onto the floor? Is it really safe to eat?”

No some kid in Texas, I never did… until like 5 seconds ago. But you did some research so we had to make a show. Even though eating food off of the floor is disgusting and sometimes necessary.

When it comes to the 5 second rule you have to appeal to the scientific authorities like Jillian Clark, High school intern at the university of Illinois and timed bacteria transfer pioneer. Don’t think she doesn’t know her stuff, she got the IG Nobel prize in public health. Uh-huh.

Anyway, while under the supervision of someone waiting to get a doctorate, she discovered that – yes – placing things like Gummy Bears and cookies on e-coli infected countertops for 5 seconds does transfer bacteria to them.

Surprise.

Not to be outdone professor Paul Dawson tested salmonella to food transfers using a variety of surfaces and times. The results? In 5 seconds nasty stuff jumps on. In more than 5 seconds, more nasty stuff jumps on.

This is like a revelation to me.

But the funny thing about all these tests is that the surfaces were painted with bacteria. Yeah, painted. In Clark’s study she initially tried to take bacteria samples from floor. But guess what. She swabbed the dorms, the lab, the cafeteria, and drum roll please… there wasn’t anything. Well, hardly anything. So they made her do it again and guess what, still nothing. It’s a college dorm. There has got to be creepy all over those floors.

Super janitors. It’s the only explanation.

It’s actually not too surprising. Most pathogens like moisture. But we don’t like our floors all slippery wet.

I know what your thinking. “The What You Ought To Know guy is a germ-a-phobe. How could he possibly tell me to eat something off of the floor.”

Wait, did I just tell them that?

Sure I can. I can tell you to do anything. It doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.

Clark also did a survey and found 70% of women and 56% of men knew about the 5 second rule and the big surprise for me, the ladies were more likely to use it. What? That doesn’t make sense. One word. Moms. Oh yeah it totally makes sense.

“What? Did you drop that in the dirt honey? Just brush it off. It’s okay, you can eat it.”

What’s the real truth about the 5 second rule? In her article in the Washington Post, Monica Hesse [Hessy] – or Hesse [Hess] I don’t really know – asserts that “The purpose of the five-second rule is not to protect you from bacteria but from ridicule. It’s shorthand for, I know what I’m doing is gross, but citing this rule will allow me to eat this brownie and you to pretend there is justification for me eating this brownie.”

I’m with you Monica. It’s an excuse not to let that cookie go to waste even if I get a disease. It was worth it.

Oh, and interestingly enough, people are much more likely to invoke the 5 second rule for a candy bar then then are for broccoli. No. That broccoli’s gone. There is no way I can eat it now. Oh, a candy bar!

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