People horrified after learning truth behind ‘five-second rule’

People have been left horrified after learning the scientific truth about the 'five-second rule.'

Perhaps the worst thing that can happen when you're cooking, other than burning the house down, is having some of your food drop on the floor.

Generally, I stick to the consensus that if it's dry and I really want it, then that food is still getting eaten, but anything wet simply has to go in the bin. Or if you have a dog, and it's safe for them, then it turns into their lucky day.

However, it turns out that the five-second rule we're so often taught as kids might actually just be total rubbish, just like the lie about the ice cream van only playing its music when it has run out of ice cream.

Scientifically, it was never going to be all that healthy to pick some food off the floor, even if you've just given them a clean, but according to Zack D films, even a millisecond spent down there could be disastrous.

In a recent YouTube short, the popular producer of simulation videos explained exactly why anything that ends up on the floor shouldn't be going in your mouth.

He said: "If you drop a cheeto on the floor and pick it up within five seconds, is it safe to eat? Well, depending on the texture, some foods can become contaminated quicker than others.

"Juicy flat foods, like a slice of watermelon, are more likely to pick up bacteria faster than dry uniquely shaped foods like a cheeto. But the time difference is negligible and it's been proven that any food becomes contaminated almost instantly."

I find that it also depends on the tastiness of the food that is dropped to see just how long you're willing to let it sit on the floor until deeming it unsafe to eat. For example, a piece of broccoli or perhaps the world's smelliest and most disgusting food, is probably going straight in the bin, whereas a slice of garlic bread or a biscuit has a much longer floor life.

While it might seem wasteful, you might be better throwing it away (Getty Stock)

Commenters were disappointed with the update, writing: "I am ashamed to admit that I lived with the five second rule as a kid."

Another said: "You call it contamination, I call it an immune system booster."

A third wrote: "It's so sad that the "5 second rule" is not true. Proceeds to eat food from the floor anyways."

There's always the moment of regret where you haven't swept in a while, and spot something on your food, such as a hair, and hopefully that's when most of you think better of your decision and throw it away instead.

Of course, you should never do it in a public place, with a doctor explaining why it's best to do it in the safety of your own home, and it's not just to avoid any judgement from members of the public.

“I would avoid eating food off the floor in places that generally have higher levels of contamination — such as a school, daycare center, public bathroom or hospital,” says Dr. Zuberi. “Your own home is probably the safest, especially if no one wears shoes inside the house that can bring in bacteria.”