Half of Brits embrace ‘five-second rule’ in effort to avoid food waste

A study of 2,000 adults revealed 73 per cent would happily eat a piece of food that has fallen on the ground, provided they can retrieve it swiftly.

Although for 16 per cent it’s preferable to rescue escaped food slightly faster – at three to four seconds.

Biscuits, toast and chips were all considered totally fine to munch on after a drop, as were sweets, strawberries and sausage rolls.

But 57 per cent wouldn’t go back to an ice cream cone, while 52 per cent respectively would put a dropped knob of butter or baked bean straight in the bin.

Scrambled eggs, curry and mashed potatoes also featured on the ‘nope’ list.

Gok Wan, who has partnered with Bosch, makers of the Unlimited 10 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, which commissioned the research, said: "Our survey shows dropped food doesn’t have to mean wasted food, but it all depends on where it lands and how clean your floor is.

“We’ve all had that moment where something delicious slips through our fingers, and sometimes, it’s just too good to let go. But if you could see what’s actually on your floor, you might think twice.”

“It all depends on where it lands and how clean your floor is”

The study also showed 27 per cent would never munch a morsel that had slipped to the floor.

But 45 per cent rely on the time-honoured ‘five-second rule’ when it comes to dropping food, with 28 per cent following it most of the time - and another 15 per cent happily snaffling a dropped grape or crisp.

Nearly half of those (46 per cent) don’t want food to go to waste, while 40 per cent do it if the floor looks clean, while a relaxed 39 per cent feel ‘a little dirt won’t hurt’.

And 35 per cent went as far as to say they ‘trust’ their immune system to keep them healthy. Although than one in 10 reckon ‘germs can’t move that fast’ anyway.

Three in 10 would let their children do it too, with 23 per cent claiming the ‘five second rule’ is something they’d learned from their own childhood.

It also emerged 66 per cent rated the floors in their own home as clean – although 24 per were more reserved, saying theirs was probably ‘average’ in cleanliness. And, depending on the floor, a bold 24 per cent would happily pick up dropped food in public and eat it.

But 69 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll.com, said a dinner date is one occasion when you cannot eat food that has been dropped on the floor at all.

A spokesperson for Bosch said: “It’s fascinating to see just how many people still follow the five-second rule.

“But with busy households, pets, and daily life, floors aren’t always as clean as they seem—especially when it comes to microscopic dirt and hidden germs we can’t see.

“For those who often rescue fallen snacks, keeping floors clean can make it feel like less of a gamble."