“You’re not seriously eating that off the floor, are you?”

“It’s cool, 5-second rule.”

We’ve all seen it, we’ve all done it. You drop the ever so tempting piece of food on the floor and grab it as fast as you can so that you can still bask in its yummy goodness. The “5-second rule” is surely one of the most commonly practiced urban legends. The so-called “theory” behind it is that if your food is on the ground for less than 5 seconds, it is still safe to eat. Past that 5 seconds, and you are, perhaps, entering a bacteria infested gray area.

However, a handful of curious students at Connecticut College have begun to do some “serious academic research” into the true safety of ground laden food. Using their campus dining hall, the students have found that “people can wait as long as 30 seconds to pick up wet foods and even longer for dry foods.”

Personally, while I rejoice in the knowledge that my sometimes questionable eating habits are seemingly safe, I wonder exactly who leaves fallen food on the ground for such an extended time. Granted, you might be deep in conversation or getting lost in your lovers’ eyes, but I am sure they would understand if you bent down to save your lost nourishment.

After this research is done, perhaps they can answer the “how long does pizza stay fresh in the box on the coffee table” mystery.

More Info: Boston Dot Com

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