Researchers debunk 'five-second rule': Eating food off the floor isn't safe: Sometimes bacteria transfer in less than a second

Researchers debunk 'five-second rule': Eating food off the floor isn't safe: Sometimes bacteria transfer in less than a second: Turns out bacteria may transfer to candy that has fallen on the floor no matter how fast you pick it up. Rutgers researchers have disproven the widely accepted notion that it's OK to scoop up food and eat it within a 'safe' five-second window.