The «five second rule», according to which the food, picked up from the ground in time – 5 seconds after it was dropped, did not have time to collect microbes – really works, according to researchers from Aston university in UK.

To prove the «5 second rule», experts studied different surfaces: carpet, laminate and tile. Researchers then analyzed the dropped food to determine whether certain strains of bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus had been transferred from the floor. The food was on the floor  3 – 30 seconds.

The experiment showed that the most significant factor influencing the microbial contamination of food is time. Even the stickiest food that was on the floor less than five seconds can be safely eaten. The longer the meal was on the floor,  the greater is the likelihood of their infection with pathogenic microbes, Fox News reported, citing an article published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.

"Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk, as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time. However, the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years" said Anthony Hilton, a professor of microbiology at Aston.