Never Eat Dropped Food. This Is Why.

Is the five second rule just a myth that needs debunking, or is it true? The debate on whether germs can latch onto food immediately, or if you can eat off the floor if you pick up your dropped food immediately has been going on for… centuries it seems. Do the origins of the 5-second rule trace back to Genghis Khan, or did Julia Child come up with the concept? Is it an unsolved mystery, or does something actually happen to your food? Let’s get into it!

[The Origin of the Five Second Rule]

[Germ Theory]

[Is the 5-Second Rule Real?]

[Other Sources]

[Brew’s intro song]
Manhattan Twist by Avocado Junkie

[Music Licensing]
Code: B9YHL4HZXDCQNTQ9, OLWSFDJDIOJ9PP3G, MRYOJSFXUEZZU8Y0, GIDY0TLZYI9IIDZ8, YYZQBZGSS76FE2QD, QTIYFXXO8C3OLAWZ, 76Z5INJ7JJYLZOYX, ZAWKUMYH4OXDYKGR, HA1U4ROGHW9O5KQQ

#Grammarly

[RoninCatholic]

My excuse was never "five seconds are too short for microbes to get in" but rather "I personally have a quite robust immune system, there's definitely germs here but I think I can handle it". Any sort of visible or textural dirt is grounds for discarding not because I'm more afraid of getting sick, but because the taste and texture will be ruined.

[pewpewdragon]

I just want to point out that it might be a little misleading about the carpet because although it has least contact points of transfer, we have to take note that in context of the floor, carpet is the hardest to be kept clean

[Lutrian]

I use a context based rule for dropped food. It's not just the surface it lands on, or the wetness of the food, but how it drops. If it plops straight down, it's a lot more salvageable, then if it got flung and thus came to a messier ending. Food that bounces or rolls, due to a shallower approach trajectory means the food is covered on all sides, and if it slides or skips across a floor, its going to get more bacteria, animal fur, dirt, etc. And yeah, though carpet may transfer less microbes, it's far more likely to transfer hair and fur to the food, which creates a gagging hazard.

[MB-qxvn]

I did my microbiology end of the semester project on the 5 second rule. We dropped a piece of bread on tables across campus for five seconds. You wouldnt believe what grew on them! Microbes from fecal species to ones found mostly in other places the sun don’t shine. We’re lucky as a species to have a great immune system!

[everfluctuating]

can i say that the portaits of real people with no noses are terrifying

[Iris_and_or_George]

I have a problem with that experiment. (That they might acknowledge in the full research) They researched the transfer rate between different surfaces but without taking into account the average cleanliness of the surfaces, my carpet is way dirtier than my stainless steel countertop.

[Kamidake]

I remember seeing this on mythbusters. I think it largely depends on if the item is wet or the floor is wet. The moister makes it easier for the germs to transfer.

[ilovechika]

Living by the 5 second rule also gives you small doses of bacteria letting your body develop defenses from them.

[tuyiren]

Well although carpet is less likely to transfer, it is harder to clean and is likely more contaminated anyways. So ya know, just throw them food on the ground away.

[whatgamesweplay]

I seem to recall reading there was a flaw in the dropped food test in that they coated the surfaces uniformly with bacteria whereas real surfaces would not be uniformly covered

[averagechadlegionary]

I don’t drink coffee so I just live vicariously through you Brew.

[Alyenbird]

After watching an episode of Mythbusters I replaced my five second rule with the wet/dry rule.
If the food is something that is very dry, salty or sugary, and inhospitable to bacteria, (like a salty pretzel) I will eat it.
If the food is something moist or wet, or without preserving agents like salt/sugar, the food goes in the trash.
I would count buttered toast as a wet.

[DASPRiD]

I usually throw things away which landed on the floor – except when they are about to be put into the oven or the pan. Since it's only "surface imperfections", it's gonna get roasted away anyway.

[planktonfun]

one must consider their own immune system before eating something off the ground

[TheScaredLittleScholar]

it only works on 1 floor: The floor of the house without pets

[wintersprite]

I usually just toss out most food that falls on the floor, just in case-with the exception of food that is sealed. My cats don’t care about the five second rule though, lol.

[metalizedLV]

Nobody:
People in Brew animations: V O L D E M O R T

[pewpewdragon]

I go with the 5cm rule: "If it comes within 5cm of any questionable surface, it might as well be dirty"

[chrisgaming]

Didn't expect to see Vsauce portrayed in that style

[livbuczek]

Brew, your YouTube channel has become my favorite go to whenever I open this app. I can appreciate the effort put into the creation of these videos, as well as your artistic expression in how they are presented. I hope you see this, and I hope you are well. I can’t wait for the next upload