Bacteria Can Proliferate Even in Just 1 Second on the Floor
Experiment Shows the '5-Second Rule' Is a Myth
Contrary to the '5-second rule,' which suggests that picking up food dropped on the floor within 5 seconds poses little hygiene risk, experimental results have shown that bacteria can proliferate even if the food touches the floor for just 1 second.
American microbiologist Nicholas Ayer claimed that bacteria can multiply even if food dropped on the floor is picked up within one second. Photo by Nicholas Ayer, social media capture
According to a recent report by the UK Daily Mail, American microbiologist Nicholas Aiher revealed the results of an experiment testing how much bacteria grew on food picked up after being dropped on the floor for 1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1 minute intervals.
The experiment involved placing samples collected at different time intervals into an incubator to observe the extent of bacterial growth.
The results showed that, contrary to the '5-second rule,' white bacteria had grown even on samples that had touched the floor for only 1 second.
Samples that had been in contact with the floor for 5 seconds showed a similar amount of bacterial growth as those left for less than 1 second. Samples left on the floor for 10 seconds exhibited slightly more bacterial growth. Samples left for 20 and 30 seconds showed noticeably more bacterial proliferation. Aiher stated, "Whether it's 5 seconds or 60 seconds, either way, it's terrible."
It was also observed that when food contaminated with bacteria from the floor was dropped again, the contamination spread to the surrounding area. During the experiment, Aiher accidentally dropped the 5-second sample, and most of the bacteria transferred to the wooden table.
The '5-second rule' is a topic with varying opinions among scientists. Those who trust the 5-second rule argue that bacteria move at an average speed of 0.00045 miles per hour, which is 1/67th the speed of a snail, so the quicker you pick up dropped food, the less contaminated it is by bacteria.
However, many believe that eating food dropped on the floor is not advisable since the speed of bacterial growth varies depending on the floor's humidity and material. In particular, bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria begin to proliferate immediately upon contact with food and can cause enteritis or food poisoning, so caution is recommended. Typhoid fever caused by Salmonella can lead to serious complications if not properly treated, and Listeria can cause sepsis and meningitis in people with weakened immune systems.
Meanwhile, the experiment was shared on Aiher's social media, where it has been viewed over 1 million times.
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