Doctor issues warning to anyone who follows 'five second rule'

What do you do if you drop a piece of food on the ground? Do you put it straight in the bin or do you follow the 'five second rule' and swiftly pick it up, brush it off and eat it?

If you do the latter, you might be in for a rude awakening.

The so-called 'five second rule' claims that food is still safe to eat if you pick it up off the ground within five seconds of dropping it.

But, according to one London-based doctor, this isn't actually true.

In a TikTok video that has been viewed more than 4,000 times, Dr. Sermed Mezher has warned people against following the rule.

He starts the video by saying: "If you've ever shouted the five second rule when food hits the floor, I've got news for you.

"A recent survey revealed that half of people are content to eat food after it's landed on the floor.

"Scientists named Dawson and colleagues decided to put this issue to rest once and for all, examining bacterial transfer onto food from various surfaces like wood, tile and carpet."

Dr. Mezher continued: "When food is dropped on tile surfaces, it immediately picks up 99% of the colonies present. [It] varies, but typically, it's about 50% of the colonies or less on wood, making it slightly safer.

"But on the carpet, less than 0.5% of the bacterial colonies actually transferred to the food when it's picked up in less than five seconds.

"Colony transfer does increase the longer the food stays there. So the five second rule doesn't apply unless it's on a carpet. But don't risk it if you eat off the floor."

He further explained that harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter can live on our floors for 'up to four weeks'.

"Invasive bacterial species such as Salmonella and Campylobacter have the potential to cause disease when ingested through contaminated food, water, or contact with infected animals or surfaces," he explained.

"These bacteria can survive and multiply in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to various symptoms ranging from mild gastroenteritis to severe and potentially life-threatening illness."

The video left viewers divided, with many taking to the comment section to share their views.

Some claimed that eating the food helped boost their immune systems, while others were absolutely disgusted.

One person wrote: "Hey, just making sure my immune system stays updated."

Meanwhile, another commented: "It's THE FLOOR!!" alongside a sick emoji.