Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Cooking dinner in the evening is something I don’t look forward to, especially if it’s been a rough day. That’s when I really feel the benefits meal preparation. However, while foods like chicken breast and vegetables are good for meal prep, rice, a major source of carbohydrates — and a favorite for many — isn’t the best thing to reheat. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it safe to eat leftover rice?” here’s what you need to know about reheating it safely.
There is a small but very real chance that eating that leftover rice or pasta could cause food poisoning. Effects are sometimes called “fried rice syndrome,” since fried rice is usually made from leftover rice. Not only can stale rice make your stomach unhappy, you could even end up in the emergency room.
Here’s why you might want to avoid preparing a big batch of rice for next week, and how you can properly store and prepare rice to prevent possible food poisoning.
For more health tips, check out 12 Probiotic Foods That Will Make Your Tummy Happy and find out why the “risempic” trend could be dangerous.
Why does leftover rice have a risk of food poisoning?
All types of uncooked rice can contain spores Bacillus cereusbacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea. Spores are heat resistant and do not die when cooked. While the rice cools down and enters the food danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheitbacteria begin to multiply rapidly. There are approximately 63,400 cases of food poisoning from Bacillus cereus in the US each year. according to the Cleveland Clinic.
A high risk of food poisoning occurs when rice sits for more than an hour – then bacterial spores can multiply. Bacteria is not a problem if you eat the rice right away. The disease is much more common if you eat rice that has been sitting at room temperature for several hours, cooled, and then eaten several days later. If your rice sits for two hours at room temperature or one hour at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be thrown away, according to Food Network.
What is the best way to store rice to avoid food poisoning?
To prevent food poisoning, you should refrigerate leftover rice soon after cooking it – in the UK The National Health Service recommends store it “ideally within an hour” – and limit the amount of time your leftover rice is in the fridge.
However, be careful not to put a hot container of food in the refrigerator, as this can raise the temperature of other food and possibly cause bacteria to grow there as well. Food Network recommends dividing a large batch of rice into smaller bowls and letting the rice cool to room temperature (about 70 degrees).
The NHS recommends keeping rice in the refrigerator for no more than a day until reheated, while the US Department of Agriculture FoodKeeper app says that you can store cooked rice for four to six days. The Food Network says you can continue to reheat rice for the three to four days it has been stored, while the NHS recommends not reheating rice more than once.
What is the safest way to reheat leftover rice?
If you plan to reheat the rice, make sure the rice comes out of the microwave or steamer hot with an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit or higher. And the next time you crave rice, limit the amount you make to what you and your companions plan to eat that day. This also helps prevent food waste, in addition to the benefit of avoiding food poisoning.
