5-second rule?

So looking through some of the assorted professional magazines etc. I have on my desk, I came across an article I wanted to share:

A new rule to let you "drop" your guard.

Relax: You no longer have to feel a responsibility to stop a worker before they eat that dropped Cheeto that's sat on the ground for longer than five seconds.

You now have 30 seconds to a minute before you have to worry about the worker catching e-coli and trying to get workers comp. As a part of a new university study, food was dropped at a snack bar and left for varous amounts of time.

The new verdict: Wet foods usually can stay on the floor for about 30 seconds before e-coli kicks in, and for dry foods, usually about a minute.

Of course, if you happen to be a klutz like me today, and spill dried oatmeal on the floor, you need to fight the ants for it. Seriously - I went to pick it up, and there was an ant, not 15 seconds after I dropped it, trying to drag off an oat.

~a