The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has weighed in on a long-running debate after a TikTok video showing a diner apparently eating noodles directly off a hawker-centre table sparked discussion online. Responding to the video in a LinkedIn post on 21 June, SFA urged people not to eat food that has fallen onto an unclean surface.
The agency said food becomes contaminated once it comes into contact with a dirty tabletop, adding that there is “no such thing as the three-second rule”.
The advice challenges a belief many people grew up with: that dropped food is still safe to eat if it is picked up quickly enough. Variations of the so-called “three-second rule” or “five-second rule” have circulated for decades, with some believing bacteria need time to transfer from a surface to food.
However, scientific studies suggest otherwise.
Researchers have found that bacteria can transfer to food almost immediately upon contact with a contaminated surface. One study found the highest transfer rates occurred when moist foods, such as watermelon, landed on hard surfaces like tile or steel.
Read Full Article At Source
