For decades, the so-called five-second rule has been a comfort myth—pick food up quickly and it’s still safe to eat. But food scientists say this popular belief doesn’t hold up under scientific ...

We’ve never abided by the “five-second rule,” the rule that says if food hasn’t been on the floor longer than five seconds it’s safe to eat. We use a slide rule. We go from five to 10, 15 seconds, or ...