is there any truth behind the “5 second rule”? How long does it actually take for germs to contaminate food once it’s on the ground?

Question

For the sake of the experiment, let’s assume we’re talking about a kitchen floor.

In: Biology

Answer 1

You can do an experiment yourself. Take salt/sugar, pour it on a plate, drop any food you want on it, and try to pick it up immediately after it hits the plate. You’ll notice that no matter how fast you pick it up, there is **always** salt/sugar stuck to the food.

Now remember that bacteria and viruses are smaller, more plentiful, and way stickier than that salt/sugar, and you realize pretty quickly that no, there isn’t any truth to the 5 second rule.