Do you know the 3 second rule? It’s a popular adage that says that if you drop a food on the ground for less than 3 seconds, you can eat it without risk. The French virologist, also known as Océane Sorel, virologist returns to the risks we take in picking up what we have dropped to ingest it.
Instant contamination
She first reminds that if the ground contains germs, the piece of food is immediately contaminated, it does not “take” time. It’s instantaneous, but indeed, the longer the food remains on the ground, the more bacteria it may contain. Moreover, she relays a study about Salmonella, the slightest contact with which is enough to spread it. As a reminder, ANSES emphasizes that it is the cause of salmonellosis which causes acute gastroenteritis.
This isn’t the case every time… But it’s a risk worth taking! The virologist explains that depending on the food, the risk is greater or lesser. Humidity plays a role in the transmission of germs, and if you find yourself in your kitchen where “micro drops of chicken juice” may have fallen on the floor, she cites, you have a better chance of getting salmonella. walks there… She ends by recalling that blowing on it will not remove the bacteria that has settled there.
Sources: The French Virologist, Anses
