It hits the floor. You quickly pick it up as if that's gonna help. You look it over. Nothing on it, at least, nothing you can see. You wonder, does that whole "5-second rule" really mean anything? The answer is "Yes" and "No". There are variables for you to consider before you put that food in your mouth.
As for me, I don't care about the variables. When I walk in "schmutz" on the road, I think, "Ew, that's going into my house". Somehow, whenever I drop something on the floor, that visual of "What's on your shoes?" makes me wretch, well, almost, and I throw it away...most of the time.
As for me, I don't care about the variables. When I walk in "schmutz" on the road, I think, "Ew, that's going into my house". Somehow, whenever I drop something on the floor, that visual of "What's on your shoes?" makes me wretch, well, almost, and I throw it away...most of the time.
Why this picture? First, it's very interesting, cute, amusing, whimsical, of sorts and secondly, before I sat down to write this post, I was making deviled eggs and I dropped one of the hard-boiled eggs on the floor and I picked it up and rinsed it off and filled it with the "eggie" filling. Shhh. Don't tell the hubs or the kid...what they don't know what hurt them, but I swear, I heard Mom giggle...
A study out of Aston University in England seems to confirm the 5-second rule which says that it's safe to eat food you've dropped. Well, mostly.
In the article I read, Larry Greenemeier wrote, "Food retrieved just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time". Makes sense. I envision that if the food gets picked up as soon as possible, the bacteria don't have time to run over and hop on. [Are you smiling?]
A study out of Aston University in England seems to confirm the 5-second rule which says that it's safe to eat food you've dropped. Well, mostly.
In the article I read, Larry Greenemeier wrote, "Food retrieved just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time". Makes sense. I envision that if the food gets picked up as soon as possible, the bacteria don't have time to run over and hop on. [Are you smiling?]
The surface that food falls on plays a significant role in the amount of bacteria that sticks to it. Carpet is best. I guess that's because there are lots of little "points" on which to balance the food unlike a tiled surface where the food is "distributed" in a more widespread fashion. I'm thinking "splat".
The nature of the food plays an equal role. Take my hard-boiled egg. It's a firm surface and because it's curved, the whole surface didn't touch the floor. So, I felt confident that a quick rinse would suffice in terms of health. Food that is moist is "stickier" and so, there is more bacterial contact. I could never recommend doing a finger wipe of jelly off the floor and slurping it off your finger. OK, now I'm wretching a little.
The equation is this: contact time + surface type + stickiness of food = degree of bacterial contamination.
If the food you pick up off the floor, the sofa, whatever has pet hair, dust bunnies or anything else that you wouldn't ordinarily eat except for the fact that it's attached to a piece of food you'd like to eat, toss it. There's a "yuck" factor that you just can't live with.
You know the risks. Balance them against the rewards and conduct yourself accordingly.
Once again, one of the mysteries of life has been solved.
TTFN, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
If the food you pick up off the floor, the sofa, whatever has pet hair, dust bunnies or anything else that you wouldn't ordinarily eat except for the fact that it's attached to a piece of food you'd like to eat, toss it. There's a "yuck" factor that you just can't live with.
You know the risks. Balance them against the rewards and conduct yourself accordingly.
Once again, one of the mysteries of life has been solved.
TTFN, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
