Dropped Food and Cutlery, Does The Five Second Rule Apply?
Business Etiquette Dining Tips and Table Manners Advice Q & A
Q. – The 5 Second Rule – food off the floor and Dropped Silverware?
When you drop something on the floor of a restaurant, are you supposed to pick it up? What if it is dropped food? What is the proper dining etiquette? I’ve seen some people pick up a fallen fork and some people leave them on the floor. I use the 5 second rule for food at home. If you do it quickly, can you pick it up?
– Danny Dropsy in Detroit
A. – Dear Danny
For those who don’t know, the five second rule (scientific name is Slow Germ Theory) purports that if you pick fallen food off the floor within 5 seconds, the germs won’t have enough time figure out how to attach themselves to it.
5 Second Rule Debunked
Sounds like voodoo to me. It might have worked for old-fashioned germs but modern bacteria have been working out (or taking steroids) and are able to contaminate food in nano seconds.
Dropsy Rules
So here are our simple dropped food rules and table manners tips for dining out when you have the dropsies:
If you believe in the five second rule for eating food off the floor, our advice is to keep it for home use when you’re dining by yourself. Just have your cell phone and 911 handy. (Click for fun and facts about the 5 second rule)
P.S. – Our online video training – Dining for Success demonstrates silverware handling and hundreds of other dining etiquette tips that guarantee you appear sophisticated and confident in your business and social dining.