The 5 Second Rule - Myth or Fact. It's both, myth and fact! Let me explain and give my opinion on this wonderful subject Karen.
To people like myself, born in the 60s, or even 70s, this issue would more than likely fall under the "myth" category. You see Karen, according to today's rules and regulations, people from my generation should really be dead! I mean shock horror the things we kids got up to back in the 70s growing up. At a time when computers, TV, PlayStations etc. were nearly nonexistent (at least to me), we spent all day physically playing with our mates in the dirt 'n all. Imagine that hey! Drinking from a"dirty" garden hose; drinking from a bottle that has touched the lips of all your mates (OMG really!!!), and yes, picking up food after it has fallen on the ground, wiping it a bit and throwing it into our mouth, ...must have had a rugged immune system I reckon! The list of things we did (that were simply based on following one's instinct) would make modern government regulators faint from shock!
On the flip side, I know for a fact that my girls don't have my immune system. Why? Because thanks to today's regulations, everything has been hygienically cleaned, pasteurised, sterilised, etc. etc. No wonder kids today suffer from infections at the slightest exposure to whatever does not conform to the strict government’s standards.
I do not wish to be misunderstood here please. I am not saying throw caution to the wind and go out of your way to doing the wrong thing. However what I am saying is that bit of dirt; bit of soil on that organic carrot (which incidentally where a vegan would get his vitamin B12 from if only they knew), is not gonna kill you. And if it gives you bit of a gastro today, your immune system would be in a better position to deal with the same thing tomorrow.
Fadi.