Is the Five-Second Rule Actually Safe for Dropped Food?

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Greg Bernhardt
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The five-second rule DOES exist
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ed-floor-isnt-dangerous-especially-toast.html

Microbiologists tracked the transfer of common bacteria from indoor floors
They monitored toast, pasta, sweets and biscuits dropped onto carpet, laminate and tiled surfaces
Carpeted surfaces were least likely to transfer bacteria to any of the food
Pasta had to be picked up in 5 seconds but toast could sit on floor for longer

For me if it's dry, good to go, if wet or sticky, no go :)
 

Discussion

Biology news on Phys.org
toast could sit on floor for longer

But I though toast always lands buttered side (or jam side) down! Wouldn't that side tend to pick up bacteria more easily? :confused:
 
I can't find a citation to, or an abstract of, any published work in the peer-reviewed lit. I've searched Google Scholar, Pubmed and the Aston University page under his name: http://www.aston.ac.uk/lhs/staff/az-index/hiltonac/, none of which have any obvious link to this work. I would've expected the last link at least to have something, but no joy.

I would want to see a proper article in a peer-reviewed journal before accepting this sort of thing. But, sadly, this seems to be the way Science is done nowadays - go to (the lay) press before you go to (scientific) print.
 
Take this for what it is, a user-submitted youtube video (albeit a very good one) on the subject that is related to this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYXdsOEWBj0
 
Here's the article from the VSauce video:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17381737

Over 99% of bacterial cells were transferred from the tile to the bologna after 5 s of bologna exposure to tile. Transfer from carpet to bologna was very low (<0.5%) when compared with the transfer from wood and tile (5-68%).
 
jtbell said:
But I though toast always lands buttered side (or jam side) down! Wouldn't that side tend to pick up bacteria more easily? :confused:

The butter or jam that touches the floor, I think, would most likely be stuck to the floor, leaving your toast germ free.