For those who don't know, the 5 second rule is put into practice when some food falls on the floor and the person has five seconds to eat it. However, this practice is not scientifically proven, quite the contrary, as some bacteria take less than a second to adhere to the foods. But then where did it come from? Check below the origin of the 5 second rule.
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The origin of the 5 second rule
Because it is something so practiced, it is curious to know when and who idealized this thought.
Khan's Banquet and Julia Child
Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, had food thrown to the ground during one of his feasts. After that, the chef said that he would decide how long the food could stay on the floor and still be eaten. This hypothesis was given through the book “Você Acabou de Comer Isso?”, in which the authors theorize the origin of the act.
Another relevant factor for the consolidation of the technique was presenter Julia Child. Many years after Khan's speech, the host of the cooking show "The French Chef", according to fans, said that it's okay to eat something that fell on the floor.
Why shouldn't we follow the rule?
A small fraction of a second is enough for bacterial contamination to occur. As such, the “rule” is actually considered popular belief today.
At the same time, the theory was tested by Donald Schaffner, a food specialist, when it was concluded that some types of bacteria can contaminate food quickly, instantly.
However, it is clear that there are some variables in the process. The type of food, the surface on which it fell and the time it remained there are strong influences on the contamination process. The more humid the food is and the more time it spends in place, the more microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, will be housed in the food.