Leftover Rice Might Make You Sick If You Don’t Store It Properly

source: healthyfood.com

My family eats rice at least once a week. Whether you’re eating it in a stir fry, soup, or with chicken and vegetables, rice is good and rice is cheap! However, leftover rice is probably something you want to avoid. According to health experts, eating leftover rice actually has the potential to make you really ill.

source: The Independent

According to the National Health Service UK, there’s a high chance of getting food poisoning from eating reheated rice. However, it’s not the reheating process that causes the issue – it’s the way the rice has been stored.

Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Surprisingly, this bacteria can survive even when the rice has been cooked. When rice is left at room temperature, the spores can grow into bacteria, multiply, and produce the toxins that cause unpleasant food poisoning symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

source: Just One Cookbook

The longer rice sits out at room temperature, the greater the likelihood that it produces these toxins. To prevent this bacteria from growing and protect yourself from food poisoning, try to serve the rice as soon as it’s been cooked. Transfer leftover rice to an airtight container and store in the fridge for no longer than one day. When you reheat the rice, ensure it’s steaming hot all the way through. And remember, never reheat rice more than once.

Now that you know these simple tips, you’ll be able to prevent food poisoning from affecting you and your family!