Many people have heard of the “five second rule”: if you pick up food from the floor before you count to five, bacteria presumably won’t have time to stick to it. Scientists have conducted several studies to test whether food can sit on the floor for a while and remain safe. The Daily Mail writes about this. What did the study show? The researchers concluded that the process of contaminating food with bacteria takes less than five seconds. According to scientists, this happens even faster than a second. Bacteria cleverly and quickly attach to food thanks to small structures called fimbriae, which act like the hairs of a caterpillar and the presser feet of a beetle. This makes the food a magnet for bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, etc., which can cause digestive problems and food poisoning. However, it turns out that different foods attract different amounts of bacteria when left on the floor for five seconds. Wet foods such as watermelon slices, apples and delicate meats are contaminated with more bacteria than dry foods such as chips or cookies. In 2016, scientists from Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA) conducted a study in which they studied the amount of bacteria that passed into different foods within five seconds. They looked at watermelon, bread, bread and butter and jelly beans. It turned out that 97% of the bacteria present on the surface managed to attach to the watermelon, 94% to the bread, 82% to the bun with butter and 62% to the jam. Similar results were demonstrated by a study conducted in 2007 by Paul Dawson, a nutritionist at Clemson University (South Carolina, USA). The specialist and his team experimented by throwing sliced sausages onto different floor surfaces, including tile, wood and carpet. It turned out that more than 99% of bacterial cells were transferred from the bar to the sausage in just five seconds. According to scientists, food becomes contaminated with bacteria as soon as it touches the floor. While bathrooms and kitchens are home to the most bacteria, they exist on every surface we touch, scientists warn. According to a study conducted by specialists from the Faculty of Science at Marymount College (New York, USA), 100 ml of water on sidewalks contains 30 thousand bacterial cells, including feces and E. coli. They easily enter homes and are transferred to any food that ends up on the floor. However, washing food that has fallen on the floor only helps remove some visible particles, such as dust or hair, but does not remove germs. Food won’t become safe after washing, even if it’s been on the floor for less than five seconds, experts warn. Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
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