Rutgers University researchers have disproven the widely accepted notion that it’s okay to pick up food and eat it within a “safe” five second window. Donald Schaffner, professor and extension specialist in food science at Rutgers University, found that moisture, type of surface, and contact time all contribute to cross-contamination. In some instances, the transfer begins in less than one second.
“The five-second rule is a significant oversimplification of what actually happens when bacteria transfer from a surface to food,” Schaffner said. “Bacteria can contaminate instantaneously.”
Read more at Rutgers University.
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