Once the food is dropped on the floor, it does not matter how quickly you pick it up, it is not safe and healthy for your consumption at all. This contradicts the widespread notion of picking up the food and eating within a 5-second window. Researchers carried experiments on various types of surfaces have concluded that moisture, contact time, and type of surface, all add to cross-contamination and in some cases, even within a second. They have warned that bacteria contaminates instantly.
