Is it ok for teen to cook rice at 8am to eat at lunchtime in school? It'll be kept in his school bag

[RiceRiceBabiy]

for 5.5 hours until eaten.
This is regular basmati rice he wants to cook.

He has previously microwaved those packets of rice you can buy in the supermarket and taken those in with no adverse effects.

Depends, it it cooked and chilled and kept chilled? Or kept hot in a thermos? Or just languishing lukewarm? The latter will likely lead to food poisoning, the other two are probably ok.

I’d eat it, I think it’ll be fine and I wouldn’t think twice about it. The only time I wouldn’t is when we have a heat wave tbh but that’d be the same for eg. Chicken or fish too.

Those micro packets are sealed at production.
Rice is porous and, unchilled, bacteria gets a hold. It’s really easy to get food poisoning from rice.

He needs to get it cold and keep it cold with ice packs, or acidify it.
I'd recommend he cook it the night before, refrigerate overnight and pack with a cool block for basmati. It's easier to acidify if it's a rice salad or sushi.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/

Nonsense. I've taken rice salads or meals into work every day for years, not kept cold and I've been absolutely fine.

It's not a big risk.

Yes. He just needs to put it in thr fridge

Yes, even if it's not in the fridge, bacteria won't grow that fast

It needs to be chilled quickly and kept cold.

I would cook it about half an hour before he leaves. Put some straight into a plastic tub, lid on and stand it in a shallow bowl of iced water. Give it a shake now and then.

Just before he leaves, dry it and pack in an insulated lunch bag with a couple of freezer blocks.

No, no, no. Unless you live north of the Scottish mainland or the rice is chilled.
It’s not a big risk. But if he gets sick, the consequences could be dire.

There is no fridge available in the school and he won't have time to chill it in the morning.
I guess cooking the night before is an option.

It is a big risk. Rice has to be kept cold

"Nonsense. I've taken rice salads or meals into work every day for years, not kept cold and I've been absolutely fine.

It's not a big risk."

You've been lucky. Google Bacillus Cereus.
Rice is as high risk as meat and seafood for food poisoning if not stored correctly and is one of the main causes of food poisoning in this country. It's easy enough to store and keep it well.

Yeah pretty much the whole problem from rice comes from leaving it cooked at room temperature, not reheating as is often said. It'll need chilling in his bags with ice packs

Crazy how people will argue ‘it’s fine’ when science proves otherwise.

We once lost an entire school staff to food poisoning from rice- it was at a buffet. Cooked rice that wasn’t kept hot enough. 36 people, some had to got to hospital, there was a public health enquiry and the restaurant got such a big fine they went bust. Some years ago now but I’ve never forgotten it!
Rice needs keeping hot when you have cooked it or chilling quickly. Letting it hang around neither hot nor cold is the way to misery.

Science Vs my lived experience of doing this countless times?

Woohoo, wooooo, I must be posting grim beyond the grave.

From not grim!

My understanding with rice is it’s in the way it’s treated after cooking which is crucial. It can’t be left around being kept warm for ages. It needs to be refrigerated as soon as it’s cooled. I re-heat rice at work but I keep it refrigerated overnight, transport in a cool bag and transfer to a fridge before microwaving.

It’s fine.

Yep. They confuse being lucky with being smart.

It has to be chilled in less than 2 hours and kept at fridge temperature in insulated bag with freezer blocks still.
Don't risk it.

Vomiting and diarrhoea is bad enough, but B Cereus can cause liver damage, meningitis and gangrene if you're really unlucky

Mystified as to how rice would be able to cause food poisoning within four hours. He's taking it in in an airtight container, and eating it cold, yes?

Tell that to my auntie who died of liver failure after getting food poisoning from rice that had been cooked and left out at room temperature. (Someone already mentioned bacillus cereus).

Several other guests at the same party got food poisoning of varying severity.

OP don't let him do it, chances are he'll be absolutely fine but it's not worth the risk. If he really has to take rice he needs to cook it, cool it down quickly and keep it cold until he eats it.