Tag: Five second rule

A study found that dropped watermelon, a very moist food, picked up significantly more bacteria than dry gummy candy on the same surface. This highlights a crucial answer to the question: does the type of food affect how much bacteria is transferred?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses each year, many of which can be caused by bacteria transferred from contaminated surfaces. This fact alone raises a critical question: is it bad to eat something from the floor, and is the popular 'five-second rule' a myth?