Picture this: you’re driving home from a long day at work or school, and you suddenly have the urge to visit the drive-thru at your local fast food joint. You order your meal, you pay, you receive your delicious burger and fries, and you think life couldn’t get any better. And then, something terrible happens. You drop your fries, and now they’re sprawled all over your car floor. But hey, why waste perfectly good food, right? The five-second rule applies here, right?

Ah, the five-second rule – that time-honored tradition that declares it’s totally okay to eat food that’s fallen on the floor, as long as you pick it up within five seconds. It’s like we’ve found the golden loophole in food safety guidelines. As amazing as it may be to think we can rescue our dropped snacks, there’s just one tiny problem: the five-second rule is basically, well, bogus.

In fact, scientists at Rutgers University decided to put this popular rule to the test. The research team, led by food scientist Donald W. Schaffner, found that the rule is, unsurprisingly, not supported by any credible scientific evidence. They examined how much bacteria food would pick up from a variety of surfaces, like wood, ceramic, and stainless steel. They also experimented with different types of food, like watermelon and gummy bears, and assessed the transfer of bacteria at various intervals, like one, five, and 30 seconds.

So, what did they find? Get ready for the heartbreak, folks. It turns out, there is NO safe amount of time you can leave your food on the floor and still expect it to be bacteria-free. No matter the type of food or surface, bacteria found their way onto those delicious treats faster than you could say, “Ew, gross!” In fact, bacteria can transfer in as little as a fraction of a second. The good news, though, is that longer contact times generally led to more bacteria transfer. But let’s be real, is it worth taking a chance for the sake of a floor-dropped french fry?

Interestingly enough, they also found that certain foods and surfaces allowed for more bacteria transfer. Moist foods, like watermelon, are basically a breeding ground for bacteria, whereas your gummy bears and hard candies might fare a little better. But honestly, do you really want to risk putting anything on that mysterious carpet of yours? (You know the one we’re talking about).

Now, we get it – this news might be hard to swallow (pun absolutely intended). The idea of scooping up a fallen piece of food and continuing our snacking as if nothing ever happened is undeniably convenient. But science has spoken, and it seems we’ve got to say goodbye to our beloved five-second rule.

Of course, we understand that there will always be those brave souls out there willing to take their chances with floor-food. After all, you’ve done it before and survived, right? But the truth is, each time you break the rule, you’re just rolling the dice and hoping your immune system can handle whatever sketchy bacteria you’re about to ingest.

So, fellow snackers, the choice is yours. Are you willing to let the five-second rule continue to dictate your food habits, or are you ready to accept the cold, hard, scientifically-backed truth? In the end, it’s up to you, but don’t say we didn’t warn you!