The five-second rule is, without a doubt, one of the world's most enduring myths.

And many of us swear by the idea that, if you drop something scrummy on the floor, there’s a five-second window of grace in which you can pick it up, dust it off, and gobble it down – all without falling foul of floor germs.

Rutgers researchers recently took it upon themselves to check out the science behind the five-second rule.

Donald Schaffner, professor and extension specialist in food science, said: "the popular notion of the 'five-second rule' is that food dropped on the floor, but picked up quickly, is safe to eat because bacteria need time to transfer.

“We decided to look into this because the practice is so widespread. The topic might appear 'light' but we wanted our results backed by solid science.”

They aren’t kidding; the five-second rule is so ingrained in popular culture that it’s even featured in two television shows.

The truth about the five-second rule, according to scientists