Eating right and keeping your fridge on point is hard. Knowing what to buy and when to buy it is no easy task either. That’s why things like the five second rule are so vital, those little mantras or tidbits we picked up when we were kids that we have an undying faith in. Some have come and gone from our memory, but those little health hacks are infinitely useful.
But exactly how true are they? You may have eaten that cookie that hit the ground long before five seconds, and survived, but was it really because bacteria didn’t have enough time to crawl all over it? It goes so far beyond that, though. Somewhere along the way, you probably picked up pointers on what food should be kept at what temperature, but have you ever made sure?
In a recent article on Foodbeast.com, nine food myths and, previously believed, truths were called into question and we picked out a few of our favorites to share.
#1: The five second rule.
Also known as the 10 second, the three second rule, etc. Really, whatever the situation calls for. These “rules” convinced all of us that a quick drop is okay. we hate to break it to you but, it doesn’t matter how long an item was on the ground—if it touched, you’re at risk. Germs are quick and sneaky and chances are they’re already on your cookie and they usually don’t plan on going anywhere. Man up and toss the cookie. you’re doing yourself a favor if you buy a new one. Unless your immunities are on point, in which case—feel free to roll those dice.
#2: You probably don’t refrigerate your Maple Syrup, do you?
The motions are probably stapled into your routine now, but when you get back from the grocery store, you might have to rethink what gets put away where. Maple syrup for instance, shouldn’t go in the pantry. Storing syrup in the fridge will kill off, or keep away, bacteria and fungus. While you’re at it, keep the ketchup, whole wheat flour, nuts, chocolate sauce, and oils out of there as well. You’ll thank us later.
#3: Don’t scrape moldy bread and call it good.
We know, it’s a hard move to stomach, but if you’ve scraped you’ve been eating funky bread. If theres any mold, toss the loaf. Fungi, bacteria and toxins might be present, what you might think is a tiny, fuzzy, spot could be much worse than it seems. The whole loaf is toast, pun intended.
For the rest of the list, check out Foodbeast.
