Husband and toddler have eaten out of date sushi

[Sailawaygirl]

Just in a bit of a panic as DH has just called me to say that he has accidentally eaten and given our toddler out of date sushie ( tesco meal deal pack). Use by was the 17/2 !
He said there was no obvious mold or bad taste.
I'm not normally a panicky person but this is so high risk with rice! It's been in his car for the weekend so not like its been in the fridge.
He bought some fresh today but didn't realise there was an old packet from last week!
Is there any I can do. Should I call nhs 111?

I’m pretty sure the husband hasn’t eaten/fed the child out of date food on purpose! I imagine he’s thought it was the fresh one then found the fresh one and realised his mistake!!
OP I think it’s a bit is a waiting game. Unfortunately I’ve been ill from sushi that was in date and tasted fine. I thinks it’s a case of waiting it out and seeing if they become unwell. First sign of anything I’d phone 111 for advice but it might be that you just have to monitor and see how bad it possibly gets.
I really hope they’re ok and are unscathed

Rooting for you 🙏🏻

You might be ok with the rice as I think (but may be wrong) that the trouble with rice is if it isn't cooled down quickly after cooking which wouldn't apply with sushi.

If your husband doesn't get sick having eaten the rice AND the fish, he should buy a lottery ticket because clearly he is one lucky man.

I’m not surprised you’re feeling sick OP. After reading the replies to your post, your anxiety will be through the roof. Stay calm. There is a very good chance that they will both be totally fine. Our stomach acid is a very good first line of defence to
most bugs. I’d hold off giving anything unusual though, just so you know if they do become unwell, what it’s likely to be from.
Zero point in calling 111 or going to A&E unless any symptoms start. Hope they are ok

How old is the toddler? Is she/he fairly robust?

According to Grok:

What to do now
Monitor closely for the next 24–48 hours (symptoms from B. cereus often start in 1–6/12 hours; other bugs can take longer).
Watch for: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps/pain, diarrhoea, fever, lethargy.
In toddlers: signs of dehydration are critical — fewer wet nappies, dry mouth/lips, sunken eyes/fontanelle, no tears when crying, drowsiness/irritability, cold hands/feet.
Hydration is key — offer small, frequent sips of water, milk, or oral rehydration solution (like Dioralyte, available at pharmacies). Avoid sugary drinks.
Don't give anti-diarrhoea meds unless advised by a doctor.
Should you call NHS 111?
Yes, it's sensible to call them now or soon — even if no symptoms yet — because:
It's a toddler (under 5s are higher risk).
The food was clearly past use-by, unrefrigerated for days, and rice is involved.
NHS advice for food poisoning in young children: call 111 if you're worried about a baby/child under 5, or if there are any signs of dehydration/concern.
They can triage over the phone, advise on watching symptoms, or direct you to urgent care/GP if needed. Better safe than sorry with little ones — many parents in similar situations (e.g., on forums) call and get reassured or quick advice.
If symptoms start and seem severe (persistent vomiting so can't keep fluids down, bloody diarrhoea, high fever, very lethargic), call 111 immediately or go to A&E if it's bad.
In most cases like this, if no symptoms appear in the next day or so, you're likely fine — but the monitoring + calling 111 for peace of mind is the standard cautious approach. Hope it all turns out okay!

I have cast-iron guts and a very cavalier attitude to best before/use by dates, and even I wouldn't dream of eating sushi that's a week out of date, even if it's been refrigerated.

I'd be stocking up on Dioralyte and some sort of anti-emetic if I were in your shoes, OP. Better to be prepared in these circs imo.

If your husband doesn't get sick having eaten the rice AND the fish, he should buy a lottery ticket because clearly he is one lucky man.

That genuinely made me lol @Pallisers !

I don't see what 111 can do, sit right and wait, you'll soon know. Hopefully it stayed cold in your car. I don't understand why it came on from the cat and went in the fridge not the bin. Sounds like your husband needs to be a bit more on it. If it's off their bodies will reject it.

Pro botics are used to treat lots of gut infections

Yes, after - not during! And kefir can act as a laxative. If they do get ill make sure they're very well hydrated.

I would be very surprised and impression if a toddler was eating a load of sauerkraut!

He keeps packs of sushi, unrefrigerated, lying around in his car for days on end?

Oh FGS get a grip! They currently have absolutely zero symptoms of anything being wrong…no wonder A&Es are bursting at the seams!

Christ alive.

I know, can you imagine if everyone who ate out of date food rocked up at A&E? Some people have absolutely no idea.

This wasn’t just out of date sushi.

The OP dripped that actually it had been unrefrigerated and lying in a car for days on end too!

it must have tasted foul

If it tasted foul, why did the dad and toddler eat it? Why didn't the toddler spit it out?
So they go to A&E, no symptoms, what, to wait on a chair until the vomiting begins?

Not intentionally. He forgot it was there and then when he saw it thought it was the one he'd bought that day. It's not like he thinks leaving sushi in the car for ages is a sensible idea or that eating it is a good idea.

He forgot one packet then got it mixed up with a fresh one. People are talking like he thinks it's all fine and he's done nothing wrong which is clearly not accurate.

This happened to me once, but not with sushi.

I used to buy stuffed vine leaves from Lidl on a semi-regular basis (the sort that were on the deli/refrigerator part, rather than tinned).

I got home from shopping once, thinking I'd bought four packets but there were actually five.

I thought I'd just picked 5 up by mistake.

Nope.

I ate some that had been in the car, festering, for lord knows how long, from a previous shopping trip. It was summer too!

I was soooo ill!

I won't go into full details but let's just say it was both ends and my legs and 'other areas' were burnt from the liquid that exited my body.. And I felt dizzy as hell, and one of my bum cheeks and my leg went numb. NHS 111 told me to come straight in. The problem was, the following day was my grandmother's funereal. I had to set off first thing, I wasn't going to miss it. Luckily, very luckily! The numbness had gone by that day. I had to stop at every services on the way down to throw up from both ends. And I was dizzy and felt sick all day. My Dad, helpful as always bought me a double vodka and red bull at the wake, thinking it would perk me up I think it did to be fair but I was in bed as soon as I got the opportunity and couldn't eat anything for a couple of days.

But in short, I can see how this sort of incident happens.

How do you accidentally eat non refrigerated week out of date sushi?

See upthread

Diluted apple cider vinegar! Swear by the stuff.

I didn’t think he intentionally left it there… but your car must be pretty messy to leave pack of sushi lying around in your cars for days and then… and this is when it gets really weird…. Somehow “mix it up” with the fresh, cold sushi you have just bought from the shops!

Food poisoning is contagious, risking infecting people at a funeral, many of which will be old and vulnerable, and the many people you would have encountered at multiple service stations is insanely selfish.

Yes he somehow mixed up the 7 days old sushi that had been stagnating in his car with the cold, fresh pack of sushi he had just purchased