Why Eating Leftover Rice Could Make You Sick

If there is one food whose presence is essential in every kitchen, it is rice . The reasons are many, but among them, it is easy and quick to prepare, it has properties and nutrients that help the body and its flavor can captivate both children and adults.

It has happened to more than one person that after cooking, several portions remain which are then stored in the refrigerator for the next day. This is a seemingly innocent practice, but in some cases it can have several consequences. dangers in the health .

The reason why eating leftover rice is harmful to your health has to do with a bacteria called Bacillus cereus . This pathogen can cause food poisoning known as fried rice syndrome.

The spores of Bacillus cereus They can be present in soil, water and various products of plant and animal origin. They are resistant to high temperatures and therefore can survive even if the rice is cooked.

The risk occurs when this food is cooled to room temperature for more than two hours, then refrigerated and consumed the next day. And if the rice sits for that amount of time, the spores can become active bacteria that release toxins and multiply to dangerous levels.

“Heating it doesn’t remove the toxins that the bacteria have already produced,” Philip Tierno, a microbiologist and clinical professor at NYU Langone Health, told the site. Live Science.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the bacteria can release two toxins. While one causes diarrhea and abdominal cramps, the other causes vomiting and nausea.

Symptoms begin to appear between 6 and 15 hours after eating the contaminated food.

Although the illness usually goes away within 24 hours, in some cases it can become more serious. Robert Gravani, a professor of food science at Cornell University, told the site TODAY What Bacillus cereus It could also cause acute liver failure and death.

As a result of the above, it is essential to take certain measures if one wants to preserve rice while taking care of this pathogen.

One is to try to cool the rice quickly, before the two hours are up. In addition, it is ideal that, when storing it in the refrigerator, the temperature is below 5ºC.

If this food remains at room temperature for a long time, it is best to throw it away to avoid any risk.