Is the 5-second rule for food true?
Experts tell us if food that comes in contact with a dirty floor for five seconds is safe
Pretend that you are about to eat a delicious cookie, and it suddenly drops onto the kitchen floor.
Is it safe to eat?
Some people would tell you to go ahead and enjoy it if it hasn't been on the floor for more than five seconds.
According to this so-called rule, food that comes in contact with a dirty floor for five seconds or less doesn't have time to pick up enough bacteria to make you sick.
Well, experts say the rule is a myth. Don't eat the food.
Studies say even in five seconds food can pick up enough bacteria to make you sick.
So to be safe, go get a fresh cookie.
Interactive advice
If you want to know more about food safety, log on to:
- www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/kids. The website from the US FDA includes an “inspect the warehouse'' game, which helps learn about the kind of things that contaminate food.
- www.foodsafety.gov. Click on “Kids, Teens and Educators''. This is a US FDA website that includes a section for kids of different ages.
- www.fooddetectives.com. Learn ways to keep food free of contamination through games.
Did you know?
If you left out a piece of pizza for more than two hours and want to eat it — don't! Bacteria spreads fastest at temperatures between 40 and 140°.
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