Mia Williams
You might want to rethink the five second rule after hearing exactly which pesky creatures contaminate your dropped food.
The age-old five second rule has stood the test of time, and it doesn’t appear that anyone has ever had a fatal disease as a result of it.
Although it can get questionable when people apply that rule to every floor and surface that exists - including public ones.
It’s no secret that a couple of germs here and there are good for building your immune system, but some people are calling for the unwritten rule to be scrapped by everyone, after seeing a video about flies on X (formerly Twitter).
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The revelation involves the work of, arguably, our most annoying insect - the fly.
Nothing ruins a gorgeous summer picnic more than the buzzing of flies swarming your food.
And we’re quick to simply waft them away, even if they may have landed on our sausage rolls for a few seconds.
But should we really be throwing them away after such an incident occurs?
It might not be a shock that flies don’t eat like humans - they don’t have teeth and consequently, cannot chew.
Instead, they opt for vomiting a concoction of enzymes that break down the food on your plate, making it easier for them to slurp up and digest.
Lovely thought, right?!
The viral video showing how exactly they do this, was created by YouTuber, Zack D. Films.
And while the knowledge isn’t breakthrough, people on social media have really decided to rethink what they'll do with their munch next time a fly lands on it or they drop their food in a public place.
One person on X said: “This is even more gross than I had imagined.”
Another said: “Ew, new revulsion unlocked.”
But it isn’t just their vomit that is problematic, their feet are also an issue.
One user pointed out: “Flies are on poop all day.
“And they are throwing it up on your food and particles from the feet are also faecal matter.”
But some people didn’t seem too bothered about the new discovery, one person actually thanked the flies, saying: “If it is putting digestive enzymes in my food I guess that will help me digest it as well.”
That’s definitely one way of looking at it…
Another offered a more sensible solution all round and said: “Just remove the chunk the fly was busy on then continue enjoying your food.”