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Damn you, science! US researchers debunk 'five second rule'

Dropped your food? Don’t bother trying to pick it up quickly – it’s already ruined.

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE – in that agonising moment where we’ve just spent a few minutes making a top-notch sandwich, or bought a snack from a shop… only to drop it on the ground pretty much immediately.

Until now we’ve had the comfort of the so-called ‘five second rule’ – a guide based on the premise that if you can pick up the food quickly enough, it won’t have picked up anything nasty from the floor and the food will still be edible.

Well, science – damn you, science! – has some bad news for you: it’s time to put the food down.

Researchers at San Diego State University have found that five seconds isn’t nearly enough time to save your food from infection by whatever germs are on the surface it falls on – though it depends on the sort of food you drop.

The Global Post points out that dried fruit can pick up dangerous bacteria in under five seconds. Pasta, meanwhile, can pick it up in just three seconds.

The scientists disproved the so-called rule by dropping carrots and baby bottles on different surfaces, including counter tops, tiled floors, carpets and the trays of high chairs.

They found that the carrots picked up more germs from a counter top than any other surface, followed by the tiling and then the carpeted floor.

Perhaps worryingly for many parents, though, dropping a baby’s bottle or cup on a high chair tray turned out to be the most dangerous surface to allow food to fall on – while the counter-top, which was the worst surface for a carrot, was the safest for the bottle teat.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: the next time you drop a sandwich? Bin it.

Image: Flickr/Christian Cable, via Creative Commons.

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48 Comments
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    Mute Gerry McNally
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:15 PM

    Such a waste of human life. This would not be tolerated in a developed western country. Why has so little been done to end this conflict?

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Sep 30th 2013, 9:16 PM

    Due to a certain demographics propensity towards violence.

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    Mute Dalai Obama
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    Sep 30th 2013, 7:34 PM

    if the yankee murder machine had gone in it would be a lot, lot worse.

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    Mute Seoirse M H
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    Sep 30th 2013, 7:49 PM

    It is a true shame that the Western/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Turkey backed proxy invasion of Syria has resulted in such horrific stories.

    Such heartbreak. All as a result of geopolitics over an Iranian/Syria/Iraq gas pipeline. The US/UK/France et al have a lot to answer for.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:12 PM

    Seoirse, you really are a dumb individual. That pipeline would have ran from Iran to Europe thus benefitting Europe. There is another pipeline in the works that would have ran from Azerbaijan to Europe. Also benefiting Europe and Russia also because the natural gas would be coming from Russia thus money in the pockets of Russia.
    Now who’s Syrians ally? Russia. So wouldn’t it benefit Russia that the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline did not happen and that the Russian one did?
    But you blame the west and France and others for this war but you don’t mention Russia at all.
    As I said you are a dumb individual.

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    Mute Seoirse M H
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:42 PM

    Re Declan.

    You are entitled to your opinion.
    You are a person who believes the armed resistance in Syria was a spontaneous occurring just like you believed the uprising in Libya was genuine.
    If you believe the above then you and me are at polar opposites. But you won’t get me losing the run of myself all the time and attacking people personally.

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    Mute Seoirse M H
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:44 PM

    Re Declan.

    I don’t why I’m doing this, maybe it’s because I’m an optimist.
    Listen to WILLIAM F Engdahl on the pipeline and then Re evaluate what you have said.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:57 PM

    Seoirse, it’s you who has to reevaluate. Once again you are passing off your opinion as fact.
    Get a grip man!

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    Mute mattoid
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    Sep 30th 2013, 11:48 PM

    @Seoirse
    Do you really think the west is responsible for Assad’s aerial bombardments of civilian neighbourhoods or for his forces killing unarmed protesters??

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    Mute Shredded
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:12 PM

    Anyone know where i can get one of those smurf t shirts

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    Mute Ben Reilly
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    Sep 30th 2013, 8:30 PM

    Penny’s in Damascus have them !

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    Mute Shredded
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    Sep 30th 2013, 10:30 PM

    Thanks

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