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In this edition of EmpowHER's "HER Daily Dose", Bailey Mosier investigates the "five second rule" and finds out whether or not it is safe to eat something once it has been dropped on the ground.
Hi, I’m Bailey Mosier. This is your EmpowHER HER Daily Dose.
Have you ever dropped some food on the ground, picked it up, said, “Five second rule” and went ahead and ate it anyway? A recent study suggests food may gather more bacteria than we realize in those very few seconds.
Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University examined everyday items such as cooked pasta, ham, a biscuit, bread with jam and dried fruit that had been dropped on the floor for various lengths of time.
When retrieved from the floor within three seconds, the dried fruit and cooked pasta showed signs of a bacteria that can potentially lead to a wide range of diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections and soft tissue conditions. The salty ham and sugary bread with jam fared the best in the test, showing the fewest signs of bacterial growth.
The researchers found that foods with higher salt or sugar contents were less likely to pick up harmful bacteria, but that food retrieved from the floor after only three seconds can show significant signs of bacteria growth. I don’t know about you, but the next time I drop something on the floor, it’s going in my trash can, not my mouth.
That wraps up your EmpowHER HER Daily Dose. Join me here at EmpowHER.com every weekday for your next dose of women’s health.
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