You Asked: Is the 5-Second Rule Legit?

3 minute read

Donut down! You quickly grab your grub, certain you’ve satisfied the 5-second rule with time to spare. But is your fallen food safe to eat?

Past research shows roughly 70% of women would say yes, along with 56% of men, says Paul Dawson, a food scientist at Clemson University who has lab-tested the legitimacy of the 5-second rule. Unfortunately, snacking on stuff that has touched the ground is always a risky proposition, he says.

“I compare picking up dropped food and eating it to not wearing a seat belt,” Dawson says. You could drive a lifetime without wearing a safety belt and never have an accident, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe not wearing one, he explains.

Dawson and his team tested the time it takes harmful bacteria like salmonella to transfer from various surfaces—wood, tile, carpet—to either dry foods (bread) or moist ones (bologna).

Here’s what they found: The length of time food spends on the floor does increase the amount of bacteria that latches on. Also, specific food-floor combinations (especially moist food on tile) result in a greater transfer of germs. But regardless of the snack-surface specifics, a significant amount of unhealthful gunk jumps from the ground to your food pretty much instantaneously, Dawson explains.

“I stand by the zero-second rule,” he says. “If bacteria is present on the ground, it will be transferred to your food.”

You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered

You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy?
You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver?Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Dessert Bad For Me?
You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?
You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Meditation Worth It?
You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener?
You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Should I Go Paleo?
You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad?
You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside?
You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits?
You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME
You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me?
You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

Recently, biomedical scientist Anthony Hilton and colleagues at Aston University in the UK repeated Dawson’s experiment with different sickness-causing bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results didn’t change.

“The majority of bacteria transfer to the food immediately on impact,” Hilton says. “The quicker you pick up your food, the fewer bacteria will transfer.” But that doesn’t mean a speedy recovery of your fallen treat will keep you safe from germs, he adds.

What about food falling on other surfaces—like your desk at work? It all depends on whether illness-causing bacteria are present, Dawson says. According to a University of Arizona study, the average office desk harbors hundreds of times more germs than the average office toilet seat.

Consider yourself warned.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com