Many are aware of the food poisoning risks when it comes to cooking with meat and fish, but they’re not the only culprits. It may come as a surprise that rice and pasta can be equally dangerous.
Preparing extra portions of a meal for later use is a cost-effective strategy to extend your weekly food budget. However, there’s a hidden danger in these common kitchen staples that can be serious.
The condition, known as ‘fried rice syndrome,’ is a type of food poisoning that is not widely recognised. The problem comes from a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which thrives and spreads rapidly on starchy foods such as rice and pasta, reports the Mirror.
Gastroenterologist Christine Lee explained: “Like most food poisoning, fried rice syndrome can occur when you don’t cook or store food at the right temperatures. People call it ‘fried rice syndrome’ because the process of cooking rice, leaving it out and then reheating it creates a perfect environment for this germ.”
She added that rice is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria as it’s “a bunch of tiny pieces” and therefore “has more surface area than something like a steak”. Dr Lee pointed out: “More surface area means more places for germs to hide.”
She added that these bacteria produce spores capable of surviving high temperatures, including those in microwaves or on stovetops. While typically harmless in small amounts, they pose a risk when allowed to multiply.
Similar to other forms of food poisoning, symptoms can include diarrhoea, fever, nausea, stomach ache and vomiting. There have been severe instances where ‘fried rice syndrome’ has led to fatalities, but this is rare. Dr Lee states that most affected individuals will just “feel awful for a day or two”.
Fortunately, this isn’t a warning to completely give up on rice or pasta due to the fear of this illness. There are some straightforward measures can prevent this bacteria from spoiling your favourite dishes:
- Keep uncooked rice and pasta in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to cook it.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before handling food.
- Thoroughly cook your rice or pasta using boiling water or a rice cooker.
- Serve your food right away.
- Don’t leave any cooked food out for more than two hours (or one hour if your environment is 90F/32.2C or hotter).
- Transfer leftovers into shallow containers and immediately place them in the fridge.
- Reheat leftovers to 165F/73.8C all the way through, and only reheat food once
It’s always wiser to prevent rather than seek a remedy. If you have any doubts about the freshness of something that’s been sitting in your fridge, it’s best to discard it. A useful guideline is to throw away any leftovers that have been unattended for more than two days.