Nearly 1 in 4 Parents Admit to Allowing Their Child to Eat Food Dropped on the Floor, Survey Reveals

‘The 5-Second Rule’ is a popularly held concept that has divided opinions across the globe since its conception.

With such disparity around the subject, Tile Warehouse conducted a survey to determine how often the UK public is abiding by the myth, how long is too long, and whether the rules for children are the same as the adults raising them.

Here’s what the data reveals:

• Almost 1 in 4 parents would allow their children to eat food off of the floor
• Men (26%) are more likely to let their children eat food off of the floor than women (21%)
• 1 in 20 Brits will eat food that has fallen on the floor, regardless of how long it’s been there
• Nearly 40% of British men claim they would eat food dropped on a public pavement 

Read a full write-up of the study here: https://www.tilewarehouse.co.uk/help-advice/the-3-5-second-rule-hygiene-survey/

When it came to children and pets, 1 in 4 parents told us that they allow their children to eat food off of the floor, with men (26%) more likely to let their children eat food off of the floor than women (21%). When asked, almost 70% of Brits reported that having a pet would not put them off eating food from the floor.

Our results have found that the threat of contamination isn’t stopping Brits from eating fallen food, with almost six in ten (59%) agreeing that they themselves would still eat food that had touched the floor. Of those who agreed, one in six (16%) preferred to only leave food for 4-5 seconds, following the favoured rule's steps. 

When asked about kitchen surfaces, 1 in 4 Brits admitted that they do not regularly clean their kitchen floors. 

Throughout the study, just over 1% claimed that they would eat food left on the floor for up to 1 minute. Even more shockingly, 1 in 20 people (5%) claimed that they would eat the food no matter how long it had been left on the floor.

Interestingly, the study also found that women (56%) were less likely to eat food off of the floor than men (61%).

Article credit: https://www.tilewarehouse.co.uk/help-advice/the-3-5-second-rule-hygiene-survey/