Susan Stamberg, long-time much beloved National Public Radio personality, is among other things the author of the Susan Stamberg Five Second Rule, by which I have lived for years. The rule states that when you drop a piece of food on the kitchen floor while cooking, if you pick it up within five seconds it is all right to eat it. Now I learn that scientific tests have proved that the Five Second Rule is false. Apparently, germs take less time than that to get on food that has fallen on the floor.
This will require an entire reordering of my culinary routines.
Is nothing sacred?
I suddenly don't feel so good ....
ReplyDeleteIt was a stupid study. Reminiscent of the study that told you about the billions of bacteria on your sink sponge. The latter recommended replacing your sponge very often. It was sponsored by the sponge industry.
ReplyDeleteWhat both studies lack is anything about clinical significance. We'd all be dead if all it took were some selection of the ambient bacterial population to sicken us.
Thanks David Auerbach.
ReplyDeleteI just going to replace my fairly new dish sponge and you saved me the price of a sponge. I owe you a beer.