A new study has debunked the common myth that if food is picked up from the ground a few seconds after it falls it will not contain harmful bacteria. A two-year long research has revealed that no matter the speed at which food is picked up from the floor, it will contain a percentage of germs.
According to Live Science, bacteria can transfer from a surface to food in a matter of seconds.
"The 5-second rule is a significant oversimplification of what actually happens when bacteria transfer from a surface to food," Donald Schaffner, microbiologist and professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said in a statement.
Researchers involved in the study contaminated various surfaces with bacteria including tile, wood, stainless steel, and a carpet rug. Scientists then dropped food on the contaminated surfaces and allowed the food to remain on the surfaces for different durations. The timings ranged from 5 seconds and 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
The type of food ranged from bread, butter, and fruit to gummy candy. The study revealed that the longer the food remained on the contaminated surface, the more bacteria was transferred to it. However, the study reported that in some instances, contamination took less than a second to occur.
While watermelon picked up the most bacteria, gummy candy picked up the least amount. Researchers believe that watermelon picked up a higher percentage of bacteria because its moisture level is more, creating an instant breeding ground.
"Bacteria don't have legs. They move with the moisture, and the wetter the food, the higher the risk of transfer," Schaffner said in the statement.
Of all the surfaces tested, the carpet had a lesser capacity to retain bacteria that could be transferred to food compared with other surfaces.
Watch the following video that elaborates on the study,