So, what is the official call on the 5-second rule?

[mysteryowl]

When I drop a piece of food on the floor, I typically make a call according to the 5-second rule.

What say you?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Depends on whether you have a dog or a cat who gets to it first.

They tend to be very quick about noticing and taking advantage of such things.

[dweller]

4. I was going to say

why bother, let the dog/cat clean up the mess

✌🏻

[dweller]

2. That only works

if you’re faster than the dog ..


✌🏻

[Moostache]

3. Entirely dependent on where it hits...

WE have pets...some areas are covered in pet fur and dander and I wouldn't eat ANYTHING that fell near that!

[SWBTATTReg]

5. They say (on the article I read on the 5 sec rule) that there isn't such a rule, and that in

reality, you shouldn't eat the item. I say it's up to you...Like one poster said, if you have animals (and I do), I'll never get to the dropped food fast enough anyways, it's already gone! Ha ha...

[Bev54]

6. 5 seconds? Wow in our house it was the 10 second rule n/t

[mysteryowl]

10. Per wikipedia...

The five-second rule, sometimes also the ten-second rule...

We are both right.

[mysteryowl]

7. I wonder who came up with the "5-second rule"?

[Sneederbunk]

8. Depends on how hungry I am.

[mysteryowl]

11. Or how messy it is.

[Grokenstein]

9. Think of it this way

You drop a saltine on a fresh wet dog poop.
It's there only three seconds.
Still good?

[mysteryowl]

14. Okay, very funny.

This situation is a complete disqualification.

[3catwoman3]

15. Oh, this is the best laugh I've had all day.

Thnx -

[mercuryblues]

12. I go by how clean my floor is

and how washable the dropped item is.

I use the stop swearing rule.

If the floor has just been mopped a long string of swear words lasting at least 5 seconds, then pick up and decide if I eat it or not.

If the floor needs mopping I say oh fuck. Now I have to mop the floor and toss it.

[House of Roberts]

13. Drinking alcohol?

Alcohol sterilizes any acquired bacteria.

I tend to drop food a lot less when I'm not drinking.

[rustysgurl]

16. I dropped an entire container of Costco chocolate chip cookies on the driveway.

And of course, the plastic busted open and the cookies flew everywhere.

Picked them up, brushed them off, and put them back in the box. Husband said that was good enough for him (they were his -- I don't eat cookies).

[Midnight Writer]

17. It depends on if the food is wet or dry. A cookie? OK. Ice cream? Not OK.

Of course, if you keep house like I do, nothing is edible once it hits the floor.

[RainCaster]

18. If it's bacon or chocolate, it becomes the 15 second rule

Unless it lands in the kitty box

[Dem2theMax]

24. I vote for this!

[stevil]

19. No way!

I've been cooking professionally 35 years. Never done it nor seen it. If it falls on the floor it's trash.

[Brother Buzz]

20. We retired the 5-second rule

Our rescue Border collie/Heeler mix (with a dash of Rat Terrier thrown in for good measure) is so fast, NOTHING hits the floor anymore.

[haele]

21. Julia Child says if it still looks clean and whole, who is going to know...

But she was talking about dropping a chicken on the floor when prepping it for cooking, so YMMV.

Haele

[mysteryowl]

22. perfect! We have a winner

Julia Child for the "official" regarding the 5-second rule.

[keithbvadu2]

23. It also depends on what you dropped.

[cemaphonic]

25. Depends how germaphobic you are

The scientific consensus is that it's contaminated on contact, and the time really doesn't make much of a difference, especially on the scale of a few seconds. If that grosses you out, then don't eat it.

OTOH, a healthy adult without any autoimmune issues can probably handle whatever is hanging out on a reasonably clean interior floor.