The Three-Second Rule Is A Myth

Have you ever dropped food on the floor, but eaten it anyway? Of course you have – that’s why the three-second rule exists.

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But sadly, new research says that just because you pick something up quickly, doesn’t mean it’s any less harmful when you consume it.

“The three-second rule has little effect on the amount of bacteria you would pick up from a heavily contaminated surface,” says Dr Ronald Cutler, a microbiologist from Queen Mary University.

"Think about this, if you drop food on a floor, it's better to put it in the bin rather than your mouth. No matter if it’s at home on the carpet, the kitchen floor or in the street, my advice is if you drop it, chuck it."

That might be news to the 37 per cent of us who would eat food that’s been dropped on the kitchen floor, as well as the 38 per cent of us who would eat food off the living room floor.

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And while you may take Cutler’s advice with a grain of salt (literally…), don’t say we didn’t warn you!