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23 Comments:
no!
wickedlady at 10:45AM on 02/26/07
yes, they did a mythbusters show on this and they found no bacteria growth on food if it were dropped and stayed somewhere for 5 seconds.
malenky at 10:49AM on 02/26/07
I think it depends what was dropped and where it was dropped.
jonfoxx at 10:51AM on 02/26/07
Of course it is. 21st century America is just hilariously dirt and germ phobic.
Barbara Hanson at 11:13AM on 02/26/07
yes, just don't serve it to someone else. unless they ask for it.
oh, and never in a subway car or platform in nyc. that morsel is gone.
angrywayne at 11:22AM on 02/26/07
most things i'm ok with if it happens in my own kitchen. but if it's kinda wet (like ice cream) no.
ambienttra at 11:30AM on 02/26/07
malenky, that's great to know!
angrywayne, it looks like you and I have the same guidelines.
lia at 11:31AM on 02/26/07
on my kitchen floor, yes. on your kitchen floor, no
Hamburger America at 12:56PM on 02/26/07
Okay, I can't believe I'm getting involved with this one. Because while I'm not an uber stickler for super air tight sanitation, I give a big Heck No is it okay.
Also, I think Maienkey is 100% wrong about his source results. I remember that espisode being the one that ended any question of it being okay with eating anything that hit the floor. I even googled it and found some sources that backed me up, but most of them were wiki type so I'll leave smarter people to confirm or deny me. But it's episode 39.
Husband at 1:12PM on 02/26/07
if there's nothing stuck on it and the surface isn't gross, then yes. I'm not squeamish about germs, and I haven't gotten sick in at least 5 years, so I must be doing something right.
Lucia at 2:28PM on 02/26/07
Try backpacking. Let your fried mac & cheese fall onto the good clean soil of mother earth, then give it a try. Nothing wrong with that.
The germies are not out to get you!
veggiesattva at 3:01PM on 02/26/07
Not if it was in that Taco Bell in the West Village.
andrew at 3:22PM on 02/26/07
Sure. When my son was a toddler, I used to pick up pieces of food he dropped and put them back on his plate. One day my mother gave me "that look," so I just told her, "Dirt is natural, you know."
amydbw at 4:09PM on 02/26/07
The relevant question isn't whether a piece of food dropped on the floor will pick up any bacteria in five seconds; the relevant question is whether that bacteria is likely to hurt you. There's bacteria everywhere, and if you drop food just about anywhere and then culture it, you'll see lots of bacteria. Presumably, however, you're going to eat the food before you culture it. Anything you're likely to pick up from the floor pales in comparison to what you get if you let your food sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Your body is used to handling the former. The latter is begging for food poisoning.
If I drop something on the floor, I'll eat it unless something's happened to make it unappetizing. But I won't serve it to guests.
Some public health scientists believe that a lack of exposure to bacteria as a child keeps a child from developing a healthy immune system and may lead to more serious diseases as an adult. Here's an article about that. I don't think the theories are universally accepted, but I think it makes sense not to be too squeamish about a little bit of bacteria.
anapestic at 5:24PM on 02/26/07
Okay, I have to repost. I did research it as well and realized I was wrong about the Mythbusters, but not entirely. The rule was generally if it was a sticky sort of food then it tended to pick up the microorganisms a lot more. But they did generally drop things on bacterial infested areas and I don't normally consider most surfaces to be full of bacteria. I did find a report by a scientist that stated it was okay (http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=1483067). I am a microbiologist and most things that have been done in student labs to test for contaminants in various areas have shown little to no bacteria present on everyday sites. Society has got most people way to concerned about bacteria these days. A little bacteria in your system is actually a good thing...
malenky at 5:26PM on 02/26/07
I work in a hospital & would absolulely not eat anything dropped!
JEP at 6:31PM on 02/26/07
Wow you guys are generous! I follow the three second rule.
Trust me, if you have eaten in enough restaurants in your life, you have eaten plenty of food that has been challenged by being dropped, no matter how long it was on the floor.
Yes, I think it depends on what falls. A crispy piece of fried chicken will pick up a bit less than spaghetti with sauce for instance.
fatbuddy at 8:05PM on 02/26/07
3 seconds for me, too. And the food can't be wet. Although...I did drop a veal chop once, but I rinsed it off. OK, so...if the food is wet, it has to be rinsable.
Myszka at 9:39PM on 02/26/07
It is fine. The problem is that we are so guarded against "germs" that our immune system gets lazy and then we need pills to work what should otherwise work on its own.
mel at 11:41PM on 02/26/07
That's what pets are for. An alert nearby dog wouldn't let even 3 seconds pass, making it a moot point.
Bob Ferrapuhls at 1:21AM on 02/27/07
If it's something dry, and after a firm blow (I do it even if I can't see anything) there is no visible "dirt," I'll eat it. If it's a piece of raw meat, sure, rinse with a strong stream of cold water and cook it anyway. If it's good enough for Julia Child, it's good enough for me.
Calichef at 7:47AM on 02/27/07
I have a dog, no food makes it on the floor for more than 2 seconds.
monica at 3:51PM on 02/27/07
In public? Nope. By myself? Yep.
Ash at 5:24PM on 02/27/07