To not eat food off the office floor?

[Lilyreads]

Today we had our lunch in a meeting room in the office, there were 6 of us and I dropped some chocolate on the floor. I said “oh noo” and all of them said it’s fine just eat it. I said I’m not eating food off the floor! But they were all in agreement that it’s fine because it’s not sticky food and it’s not the ground outside. They said if it was them they would just eat it.

I said but everyone has been walking in here with their shoes, which have been outside. But they were all basically laughing at me for not eating it. It was lighthearted and I’m not offended or anything but I was just wondering, how many people would eat it? I thought more people would think like me and not want to eat something that’s been dropped on the office carpet where multiple people have been walking. But I was the only one with this opinion and now I feel baffled 😂

So.. would you eat it or not?

5 second rule 😂

I mean, I’m batshit with incredibly low standards (I have a small holding and it wouldn’t cross my mind to wash my hands before eating after sorting the animals- that level of low standards) and this is a no from me.

YANU.

Any chance they were messing with you, see if you’d be filthy enough to actually do it?

I’m with @Haydenn outside, no problem. Office floor? Fuck off!!!

I'd probably eat it. But I work with dogs and often share their (human) treats out on walks if I'm hungry, lol.

Why is outside better than a floor? Any issues with outside are surely where the issues inside some from??

I'd eat it unless it fell on an obvious stain. Like you say, it's not sticky. Bit confused about what your specific concern is.

It depends, but yes, I'm plenty of circumstances, the 5 second rule would apply.

Everyone is different... did you think everybody would feel the same as you?

What gross colleagues you have.

Bet they wouldn’t really have eaten it.

I’d have given them a cool stare and said slowly “I don’t eat off floors, but if you would like it then you’re welcome to it.”

I would have eaten it and not thought twice about it - 5 second rule and all that! I'm quite lax with a lot of food hygiene (not with things that are a serious hazard such as raw chicken, but in terms of not always washing my hands before eating) I've never been ill as a result.

Quite bemused by the idea that bacteria need a sticky surface to adhere to 😂
Former microbiology technician, and it's a hell no from me.

There are bacteria everywhere. If it fell on a toilet floor or the hallway outside, I wouldn't eat it. If it fell elsewhere the bacteria from anywhere dirty would be suitably diluted for me. I've only had food poisoning once and it was from a dodgy Chinese I used to work at 😎

5 second rule for sure

As long as it wasn't covered in bits or fell in something dubious looking then, ye, I'm not wasting chocolate 🤣

LOL of course. Your keyboard has WAY more germs than the floor.

People are awful assessors of risk. And of how clean they need to be.

I also used to let my kids eat food they dropped on the bus floor.

They are the 'never sick' kids. Germs and bacteria are good for you

If it's something washable like a grape I would give it a rinse and eat it as I hate waste. But I think other foods will pick up small hairs and things not visible to the eye so not worth the risk.

Can you quote the actual science as to why? As in what germs she might be exposed to and the probability they wouldn't be killed by that really useful stomach acid stuff?

Floor in my house yes.. horrible office floor no.
Not because I think it would actually make me ill, it would just feel disgusting.

Those germs are everywhere. I studied biomed at uni and I’m in a social circle of scientists. We eat stuff we drop 😂. It makes no difference.

If it was in a wrapper or packaging then ofcourse I’d still eat it.

If it was bare food that touched the office floor absolutely no way. I’d only eat something dropped in my own home if I know the floors been freshly mopped.

you should have just offered it to them if they were sure they would eat it. I bet none of them would take it!

Not bothered about germs, but I do boak at small hairs and fluff.

Yea I'd eat it.

It’s not that I think it will harm me or make me ill. It’s just the thought of it.. the thought of everyone’s shoes walking over the carpet and then me putting it in my mouth with bits and hairs on it

It always baffles me that everyone seems to believe bacteria needs more than 5 seconds to infect it🤣

No one believes that. It’s just a joke/common phrase because people don’t care and it hasn’t been sitting there for days being trod on.

It might as well have been trod on if it's on a floor, not a freshly mopped one, an office one at that😂

I would have eaten it.