The Five-Second Rule
September 25, 2011, By Tom McNulty 2 comments
The five-second rule holds that food dropped on the floor is still OK to eat as long as you pick it up within that brief time span. I personally think it's just a "rule of thumb," a rough guideline that's completely situational. Whether or not you follow the five-second rule depends on three factors: the type of food, the cleanliness of the floor and your personal tolerance level.
- A cookie that falls onto a clean floor is probably fine for several hours, if not days. Just don't step on it.
- Pudding, on the other hand, you'll probably just want to wipe up with a paper towel and toss away unless you're extremely hungry AND the floor is relatively clean.
- Tic Tacs can remain edible pretty much indefinitely, and the beautiful thing about them, especially the white wintergreen ones, is that you can pick them up and see instantly if they're dirty or not, which makes your decision easier.
I don't have many opportunities to use the five-second rule because I have a fast, food-motivated dog. Coco, an incorrigible foodie, is always in position in the "drop zone" at my feet to scarf up tidbits that land there.
Keep in mind I’m no organic chemist or epidemiologist, but that’s my layman’s opinion on the five-second rule. I obviously don’t take microbes as seriously as I probably should. Same with freshness dates, at least to a point. I’ve eaten yogurt three weeks past its expiration date with no ill effects. I think freshness dates are kind of like gas gauges—they can show “E” but you still have some leeway. With food, the smell and sight tests are more meaningful to me. I’ve thankfully dodged the bullet so far and seldom get sick, even with colds. But as they say in the mutual fund prospectuses, past results are no guarantee of future performance.
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