If you happen to be similar to us, you probably grew up enjoying extra white rice your mother made the day before. You might have paired it with beans, mixed it with eggs and plantains, or relished it on its own. No problems, right? As shared by a X user, “A day-old rice is a common Hispanic dish,” and… absolutely true. Bonus points if your mother ever stored leftover rice in a margarine tub:
So, why all the fuss about reheated rice? Well, social media is going crazy over claims that leftover rice can cause food poisoning due to Bacillus cereus bacteria. Are these claims true? Unfortunately, yes… unless you follow a few crucial steps.
Are they truly banning our leftover rice now?
The main issue with leftover rice isn’t its reheating— it’s about how you store the rice after cooking.
According to a 2021 study revealed on the National Library of Medicine, rice often harbors spores of the bacterium Bacillus cereus. You might also find B. cereus in other grain-based foods like pasta and quinoa. However, rice may be more prone to having the spores— which are mainly found in soil— because it is less processed than other foods.
“Rice comes directly from soil with minimal processing before cooking and consumption,” food science professor Rosemary Trout explained to Bon Appétit. Therefore, the bacterium count of B. cereus in the grain could exceed that of your favorite processed pasta.
As detailed by Food & Wine, raw rice contains B. cereus, and the bacterial spores can survive even after the rice is cooked. Consequently, the bacteria’s optimum growth temperature lies between 39°F and 118°F.
This range is known as the “danger zone,” as if your rice stays within those temperatures for an extended period, it can potentially make you sick. Experts confirm that without promptly refrigerating your rice after cooking, B. cereus spores could develop into bacteria. So, refrain from leaving cooked rice in a rice cooker, or out on your kitchen counter for sixty minutes or more. We’re alarmed. Who else is guilty of this act?!
If your rice sits at room temperature, or anywhere in the “danger zone,” it can breed B. cereus and result in stomach upset or food poisoning. According to NHS, you might experience vomiting from half an hour to sixty hours after consumption, or diarrhea starting from six to fifteen hours later. These symptoms typically last for a day.
To minimize this risk, you should refrigerate rice within sixty minutes of cooking, and ensure your fridge is at 39 degrees or below. Experts recommend only keeping rice in the refrigerator for a “few days,” while the U.S. government site FoodSafety suggests four to six days.
Another caution? Avoid reheating rice multiple times. Plus, once your rice harbors B. cereus, reheating it will not eliminate the bacteria.
A lot of this information is eye-opening to us, as expressed by one X user, being brought up Latino means always having some leftover rice:
Another joked that Latinos’ “inherited tradition” of reheating rice is deeply ingrained in our culture:
And even though many of us have consumed leftover rice numerous times, we should be cautious. So, inform your grandma as well!
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