May I eat something from the ground? A researcher explains the "three-second rule"
We used to say jokingly in such cases: "three-second rule!" - and have the piece of chocolate quickly nibbled. The thought behind it: what only lies on the ground for up to three seconds can not yet be contaminated with germs.
We got older, we got riper and wiser - and one day we realized: The "three-second rule" is surely complete nonsense. As if the germs would stand with a stopwatch next to our fallen piece of chocolate and haunt it only after three seconds. There can not be anything to it. Or is it?
The "three-second rule" really works
Now an expert reveals: But the "three-second rule" is not really as stupid as it may sound to many an adult! Professor Anthony Hilton of Aston University in Birmingham, England now told the Independent: "If food has touched the ground for just a few seconds, we really have nothing to fear." However, it also depends on the surface condition of the soil, how "dangerous" the consumption is.
Hilton also makes it clear: "Food that has been on the floor for a few moments can never be completely risk-free" - yet it is less worrying than many people think. Of course, you should wipe off rough dirt and visible dirt, or you can do without it.
Incidentally, in other countries, our "three-second rule" is also known as a conservative "two-second rule" or a "five-second rule" (for the very brave).
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