Myth #7: The 5-Second Rule

Honestly, I can't believe how many people still think that food items dropped on the floor for less than 5 seconds are still good to eat. In case you're one of them, consider this: If your hand touched wet paint, does the color wait for 5 seconds before sticking to your skin?

As much as we hate to waste food, and I know I do, even the cleanest floor is covered with disease-causing micro-organisms from corner to corner. If you've eaten a sandwich that fell on the floor before and nothing happened to you, that only means two things: first, that your immune system was fully functioning, and two, the area of contact was relatively clean.

However, that will not always be the case. There will be a time when stress has worn your natural defenses down or your floor is dirtier than usual, and when that time comes you WILL get sick. Acute gastroenteritis or food poisoning, which presents as vomiting and diarrhea, is virtually guaranteed.

As I said before, prevention is easier than cure. If you want to eat clean and safe food, take care not to drop it on the ground. Stay tuned.