Food poisoning - settle an argument

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

My 16yo reheated some meat paella (chicken) for lunch today. Took a bite into a piece of chicken and said it wasn't very warm so I told her to put it back in the microwave. Husband said I was being ridiculous and that 'you don't have to heat something up til it's hotter than the surface of the sun' to make it safe to eat.

4 hours later, I think she has food poisoning. Diarrhoea, dizzy, stomach cramps and clammy/sweating. He's still bloody saying it can't be the chicken and maybe it's coronavirus?! Please tell me I'm right.

Did she heat it up again or did she listen to her dad and eat it cold? Yanbu. You can definitely get food poisoning from not reheating meat properly. I hope she is OK.

Not reheating rice properly can be almost as dangerous as reheating chicken.

She heated it up some more but had already eaten a chunk of chicken before doing so.

The symptoms usually start within a few days of eating the food that caused the infection.

Sometimes they start after a few hours or not for a few weeks

Taken from NHS site. Will he believe you now?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-poisoning/

Deffo food poisoning, and he’s wrong, food needs to be reheated thoroughly and evenly to avoid it.

And as for rice
DH is a chef, so easy to get it from rice
www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/

Rice is not meant to be reheated

Yeah you need to kill off any bacteria so without heating it properly you can end up unlucky.

Also reheating rice can be very dodgy

Thanks. Am just so annoyed because he's still insisting he's right and that 'he knows the science behind it.' Oh and apparently saying 'I said I was right' is not helpful!!

She'll be fine in a day or so. It's horrible though - I had it last year from dodgy seafood.

Its more likely the rice that has given her food poisoning. Rice is one of the biggest culprits and in an ideal world, shouldn't be reheated.
Your DH is wrong.

But plenty of people eat leftovers cold. Why would she get food poisoning? Had the food been left out on the counter, in the sun, all day?

Its likely to be the rice rather than the chicken. I did it myself around her age but with curry and within 4 hours I was really Ill for a couple of days.

But your husband is an arse. Food should be reheated until its piping hot, at least 75⁰c.

I'd say food poisoning. I've had it 4hrs after eating, all the symptoms she has

@HollowTalk cold is safer than poorly reheated.
Bacteria grow quickest in warm conditions, so food only reheated to warm will have more bacteria than food from the fridge.

Nope it wasn't left out, was put in fridge as soon as it was cool enough. You can eat cold, yes. But my understanding is that partially reheating is dangerous.

One bite of cold chicken wont give her food poisoning. Was the paella put into the fridge soon after cooking as cooked rice left at room temperature too long can cause food poisoning. You can reheat rice as long as it was stored properly after cooking it

You absolutely do have to reheat something right through to be sure it's safe to heat.

I never reheat food in the microwave oven.

Because microwave ovens to do not heat evenly you have to heat it, stir it and continue heating to ensure it gets heated right through.

Chicken is one meat that you really need to ensure is thorough cooked or reheated.

Your husband is completely wrong.

Your husband has never taken a microbiology course has he? It'll change your outlook for sure. Monitor her closely and try to give her fluids to prevent dehydration. Ginger ale or tea or ginger snaps might be good . Flat,caffeine free soda or a sports drink like Gatorade. She absolutely should avoid A&E if at all possible due to the virus but if this carries on she might need IV fluids

Food poisoning from chicken wouldn't come on that quickly. It would be toxins present in the rice, and that has nothing to do with the reheating and is to do with not cooling the cooked rice fast enough.

Not that that's any reason not to properly heat up chicken, but in this case it is very unlikely that is what made her ill.

@dementedpixie it was one bite of partially reheated chicken.

Also depends on how quickly it was cooled and stored at fridge or freezer temperature.

Cooking it to hot enough isn't always sufficient to prevent food poisoning.

Hope she feels better soon x

Yes, just realised there's rice as well.

Potentially even worse than chicken if not properly reheated.

Yeah it won't be the chicken. If it was that dish at all, it'll be the rice. Was it left sitting out at all before going in the fridge?

Only to cool for long enough that it could be put in the fridge. 20 mins maybe.