Ever wondered or thought about what would happen when you miss the ‘five-second rule’? Let me first admit, I have continuously dropped food on the floor and picked it up immediately – ok, no shame in my game, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Lucille Dyosi.
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However, according to the so-called five-second rule, it is safe to eat food after it has been dropped on the floor or at least as long as you do so within five seconds. It is one of those “rules” that has stood the test of time, and, not forgetting, many cultural moments have helped to keep perpetuating it in our everyday culture. In fact, you have probably seen your fair share of people swear by the rule. But is it even true or real?
Where did it come from:
It may not be clear on who or where the five-second rule came from, but according to sciencefriday the early beliefs can be traced back to the “Khan Rule”, a practice by Mongolian leader Genghis Khan, according to Dawson and Sheldon in their book Did you just eat that?
Khan allegedly allowed food that fell on the floor to stay there as long as he wanted, with the idea that any food that had been prepared for the ruler was inherently good enough for anyone to eat.
Is it even real:
According to Martha Stewart website, the five-second rule is a myth, it does not necessarily mean that food is unsafe after it has fallen on the floor. The health risk of eating the food depends on many factors. Which you can decide if it works.
Even when the food has fallen to the floor, these are the pointers you should take into consideration:
1. A clean-looking floor does not mean clean:
A shiny floor is probably cleaner than any carpet. But even clean, dry floors can harbour bacteria. Newly washed floors are only as clean as the tools used to wash them. Remember a new mop or sponge because stubborn germs can still remain on the floor after cleaning.
2. Fast is better but try be fast enough:
A piece of food can pick up more bacteria the longer it stays on the floor, bacteria can attach to it instantly. So any food that makes contact with the floor can get contaminated if conditions are right and foods with wet surfaces, like an apple slice, pick up bacteria easily.
3. Whatever you do, remember that food safety is important:
In June of this year, WHO and United Nations celebrated World Food Safety with the 2022 theme, “Safer Food, Better Health” with seventeen goals to help drive their mission statement of the year.
One of the seventeen goals, highlights the importance of safeguarding food so that it is okay to eat and does not just stop with its purchase. That, at home, consumers have a part to play in making sure what they eat remains safe and healthy.
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