OK, so you may not want to bend down and start slurping a spilled can of stale Miller off a dirty parquet floor, but in most cases the 10-second rule should apply, at least if you’re a greenie like me.
It basically stipulates that, if food is dropped on the ground, it’s still safe to eat for a certain period of time, as bacteria requires a few seconds to actually take hold. But of course, as Wikipedia points out, “In some variations, the person picking up the food arbitrarily extends the time limit based on the actual amount of time required to retrieve the food.”
And, it’s pretty much an urban legend anyway. Whatever bacteria is there will either be on the food or not, and will either make you sick, or not. Chances are, however, the germs that land on a sandwich when it’s sitting on the floor will probably be much the same as the ones that sneak onto it while it’s being made on the kitchen counter.
Either way, as my floors are kept pretty clean, I’m going to stick to the 10-second rule so as not to waste food. The only exception will be liquids — I don’t mind a bit of dust in some spilled coffee, but cat hair? Not cool.
Photo courtesy of mhoran on Flickr
As you allude to, so much of what we consider to be hygiene is just modern superstitions. Congrats on not throwing away food just because it’s come in brief contact with a surface we have superstitiously labeled “dirty”.
Actually, Vanessa, you can have about 30 seconds because that’s generally how long it takes for the bacteria and such to adhere itself to the food dropped. Of course, this does not apply to anything the 5 second rule would not have, like really toxic stuff on a floor or cat hair or what have you.
Just Google “five second rule actually 30″ and you’ll find links from just this past June to articles like these:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070612/five_seconds_070612/20070612?hub=Health
However, I still highly recommend practicing the 5 second rule that the moment it’s dropped, waste no time and get around to picking it up rather than dilly dally knowing you’ve got more time.
Surprisingly, you can pick food up off the floor relatively risk free. It doesn’t have much to do with bacteria taking time to get on your food, but the floor actually tends to be a dry bacteria-unfriendly environment anyway.
You know, this is just a theory of mine, but with all of the hand sanitizers, antibiotics, and dissenfectants that we use on a day to day basis, we are actually making ourselves more susecptible to getting sick. We never giver ourselves the chance or the ability for our bodies to develop natural immunities to bacteria.
I think this 10 second rule thing is a great idea. I honestly doubt that anything will happen to you or anyone else who adheres to this rule.
I looked at your picture and my first thought was “party foul!”
The five second rule started as the three second rule and many of the restaurants where I’ve worked the rule if it hits the floor it doesn’t go back on a plate. We then developed a good luck exception where the food fell on to a clean kitchen towel or napkin. The development of this rule made all time rules irrelevant because it never touched the floor at al only the clean kitchen towels that were miraculously in place in time to save that lobster tail or piece of fillet.
In the photo shown you really have two rules in play(1) the original container rule which says if it didn’t get out of the original container it’s good. then there is the napkin rule. In real life a clean kitchen towel would have been under the can when it fell and the beer would have been absorbed by the towel which fabric not the floor which is wood. So the beer in the towel could be wrung out into a glass and served without violating any health rules.
What about if it’s a rice cake with almond butter… almond butter side down?
Obrienzspeculator, you gave me the willies there for a second when I thought you were going to suggest that restaurants observe the 3-second rule, too. I’d eat things off my own floor, but off a restaurant kitchen floor? Never.
HAHA! That is nasty man!
No, not the fact that you’re drinking beer off the floor, but that you’re drinking Miller.
Miller is a very important brew and should be respected. Without Miller you would have no Idea how good a Bass Ale or Sam Adams tastes.
Dear Vanessa: Just read what it is that you are doing and I appluad you for your sensible and diligent approach to going green. Green cleansers are extremely important due to the possibility of them winding up in storm drains and ultimately the ocean. Plus a green floor clenser will have a much smaller effect on the flavor of the beer that is captured by the clean kitchen towel. Mr. Clean can do some wonderful things for the Miller but since this is a lifestyle change having to pour your beer on the floor everytime could become a nuisance.
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