Most Brits will eat meals dropped on the ground however nonetheless persist with the six-second rule

The six-second rule is almost the law for many hungry Brits who have ever dropped some chips, crisps or even a box of chicken nuggets from a well-known fast food chain

Brits will eat dropped food that has been on the floor for up to six seconds, research has found.

A study, of 2,000 adults, revealed 73% would happily eat a piece of food that has fallen on the ground – as long as they can pick it up quickly enough.

Although for 16% it’s preferable to rescue escaped food slightly faster – at three to four seconds.

Biscuits, toast and chips were all considered totally fine to munch after a drop, as were sweets, strawberries and sausage rolls.

But 57% wouldn’t go back to an ice cream cone, while 52% respectively would put a dropped knob of butter or baked bean straight in the bin.

Scrambled eggs, curry and mashed potato also featured on the ‘nope’ list.

Gok Wan, who has partnered with Bosch, makers of the Unlimited 10 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, which commissioned the research, said: “Our survey shows dropped food doesn’t have to mean wasted food, but it all depends on where it lands and how clean your floor is.

“We’ve all had that moment where something delicious slips through our fingers, and sometimes, it’s just too good to let go.

“But if you could see what’s actually on your floor, you might think twice.”

The study also showed 27% would never munch a morsel that had slipped to the floor.

But 45%rely on the time honoured ‘five second rule’ when it comes to dropping food – with 28%t following it most of the time – and another 15 per cent happily snaffling a dropped grape or crisp.

Nearly half of those (46%) don’t want food to go to waste while 40% do it if the floor looks clean – while a relaxed 39 per cent feel ‘a little dirt won’t hurt’.

And 35 per cent went as far as to say they ‘trust’ their immune system to keep them healthy.

Although than one in 10 reckon ‘germs can’t move that fast’ anyway.

Three in 10 would let their children do it too, with 23% claiming the ‘five second rule’ is something they’d learned from their own childhood.

It also emerged 66% rated the floors in their own home as clean – although 24% were more reserved, saying theirs was probably ‘average’ in cleanliness.

And, depending on the floor, a bold 24% would happily pick up dropped food in public and eat it.

But 69%of those polled, via Market research and PR surveys – OnePoll, said a dinner date is one occasion when you cannot eat food that has been dropped on the floor at all.

A spokesperson for Bosch said: “It’s fascinating to see just how many people still follow the five-second rule.

“But with busy households, pets, and daily life, floors aren’t always as clean as they seem – especially when it comes to microscopic dirt and hidden germs we can’t see.

“For those who often rescue fallen snacks, keeping floors clean can make it feel like less of a gamble.”