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"Do you abide by the 5-second rule? You know, the rule that states that food you drop on the floor is safe to eat again if you pick it up within seconds. Here&amp;#x27;s the truth ... It&amp;#x27;s bogus! Bacteria can jump onto your food almost instantaneously, so don&amp;#x27;t think about eating off the floor, gals. But you already knew that, right? Proof: Asylum recently reported on some interesting research. According to Paul Dawson, a food scientist from Clemson University, bacteria like salmonella can live and thrive for up to four weeks--four weeks!--on dry surfaces, and can cling to food in mere moments. &amp;quot;The most important factor in whether or not fallen food is OK to eat is where it is dropped, not how much time it has spent on the ground: The kitchen, a cesspool of food bacteria, even if you clean regularly, is one of the worst places to drop food.&amp;quot; Oddly, he says, if you drop a snack on the sidewalk outside then pop it in your mouth, it&amp;#x27;s less likely to make you sick. Whoa! Still, I&amp;#x27;m not taking any chances, you? Do you follow the 5-second rule? More reading: *Do you cover your nose/mouth properly when coughing or sneezing? Surprisingly, most people don&amp;#x27;t! *Pets in the bed: Is it healthy? *Why airplane food may be unsafe to eat, say health officials ... More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage FREE Beauty Stuff! Enter for your Chance to Win a New Prize Every Day! Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2010/07/true-or-false-when-you-drop-fo>