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Food/recipes

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Original poster

what is the risk of getting ill from leftover rice

51 replies

whoneedssleepanyway · 03/09/2011 12:58

I cooked too much rice last night (Friday) so thought I would make it into a rice salad for a bbq tomorrow (Sunday lunchtime) so 1.5 days later.

DH got all funny saying, you have to be so careful with rice it is one of those things it is really easy to get ill from.

The rice has been in the fridge since last night when it was cooked...is this risky. If you make rice salad should you use fresh rice and throw away anything that isn't eaten?

I am sure I have eaten left over rice salad before and been fine. I am generally pretty laid back about eating left overs but wouldn't want to do anything dodgey if other people were eating it.

OP posts:

londonmackem · 03/09/2011 13:01

It is one of the worst things to get food poisoning, I have heard. However, I have not been ill myself. I tend to nuke it in the microwave. It isn't great heated up though so i probably wouldn't give it to others.

ConstanceNoring · 03/09/2011 13:03

Not being able to google is one of the worst effects.

oh dear

This is what the food standards agency says:
Storing and reheating
There are a few things to remember when you are storing and reheating cooked rice and grains. This is because the spores of some food poisoning bugs can survive cooking.

If cooked rice or grains are left standing at room temperature, the spores can germinate. The bacteria multiply and produce toxins that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Reheating food won't get rid of the toxins.

Therefore, it's best to serve rice and grains when they've just been cooked. If this isn't possible, cool them within an hour after cooking and keep them refrigerated until reheating or using in a cold dish.

You should throw away any rice and grains that have been left at room temperature overnight.

ragged · 03/09/2011 13:04

Can you not eat most of it for tonight's meal, and have fresh tomorrow?

tbh, I would eat it for myself on Sunday or even Monday without a thought, but you're right, it's a bit much to ask others to take that risk.

DH got very ill on left-over rice, once; it had been left out in warm weather for at least 2 days and he didn't heat it thru in microwave.

Original poster

whoneedssleepanyway · 03/09/2011 13:04

see I was planning to serve this cold as a salad...

been googling but can't find a definitive answer...

OP posts:

Original poster

whoneedssleepanyway · 03/09/2011 13:05

cross posted Cogito, see I did google but seemed to find so many conflicting things some saying 3 days was ok if you cooled it quickly after eating but others saying more less....wanted to see what people had actually done....

OP posts:

ConstanceNoring · 03/09/2011 13:06

Hah, funny xpost ..

see above

ConstanceNoring · 03/09/2011 13:09

I used to reheat rice by just boiling water and letting it soak in it for a couple of mins - until someone told me about the risk. - never got ill from it though.

I think if you're using it cold, then it's down to how long you let it out of the fridge once it had cooled down from first cooking.

ConstanceNoring · 03/09/2011 13:10

left it out

Original poster

whoneedssleepanyway · 03/09/2011 13:12

So the rice finished cooking at 8:45 I would say it was in the fridge by 10/ 10:30 latest in a tupperware container.

I am not sure I will risk it now, there is going to be one pregnant woman there.

If there was something definitive like it is fine for 3 days or something I would be ok, but all seems to be quite vague. Even that FSA advice doesn't say how long it is ok to refrigerate it for if using in a cold dish.

OP posts:

ChippingIn · 03/09/2011 13:14

It's one of those things that I have never had a problem with myself so continue to do for me, but I wouldn't give it to anyone else. Can you do the same salad with pasta?

OriginalPoster · 03/09/2011 13:19

From memory the bug is bacillus cereus, and it's called Chinese restaurant syndrome. Or so I was taught a long long time ago.

On reflection, sounds more like a Harry Potter character..

OriginalPoster · 03/09/2011 13:24

Just googled, on wiki it's fried rice syndrome nowadays, caused by bacillus cereus.

MrsCurly · 03/09/2011 13:26

From what you said, you will be fine.

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 03/09/2011 13:27

As long as it was cooled quickly and put in the fridge ASAP it'll be fine.

twolittlemonkeys · 03/09/2011 13:40

I don't go near rice salad because at BIL's wedding almost all of their guests suffered from severe food poisoning thanks to dodgy rice salad. I think they had people hospitalised in six counties (seemed to attack on way home from the reception). So I personally would steer clear.

DorothyGherkins · 03/09/2011 13:43

My daughter is a nutritionist. She never ever eats rice that hasnt just been freshly cooked.

PotatoesOfTheCarribean · 03/09/2011 13:48

Millions of Japanese and Chinese people presumably don't get ill all the time from rice? Cold rice is commonplace in bentos boxes isn't it?

GloriaVanderbilt · 03/09/2011 13:50

Ds1 got ill the other week from sushi I had in my handbag for about 4 hours...in fairness it was a warm day but it had been bought from the shop that morning (ok, wilkinsons freezers might not be left on all night...I don't know)

He was throwing up for about a day. Poor thing. No one else was ill.

Poshbaggirl · 03/09/2011 13:51

We're only talking about saving about£1, not worth it if you are feeding others. I never throw food out but eat all leftovers myself.

DilysPrice · 03/09/2011 13:52

I might if it was just me and DH, but if you are going to be feeding vulnerable people eg pg women, then you have a duty to be very cautious.
Can you not do a stir fry with it tonight?

mmmmmchocolate · 03/09/2011 15:00

I'm sure rice can only be kept for one day after cooking (may be wrong I've been out of the catering industry for a few years) and it must be throughly reheated before serving. So personally I wouldn't keep it for tomorrow.

Rice is very dense and protein packed which makes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. It causes more food poisoning outbreaks than poultry and seafood. It's fairly cheap though so wouldn't be expensive to whip up another batch tomorrow.

eaglewings · 03/09/2011 15:07

Recently had the bug from warm rice. Not much fun but thankfully before I got pregnant.

If the rice is cooked and cooled with cold water within an hour I'd risk it, but not otherwise. If you do serve it tell the pregnant woman

BastardDog · 03/09/2011 15:17

My dad and I were really ill from re heated rice. We were on holiday at the time, self catering. Ruined the second week of our holiday. Interestingly my mum and dh ate the same reheated rice and were both fine?

DorothyGherkins · 03/09/2011 15:44

Daughter wont even risk rice from a takeaway, she s says you dont know how long its been hanging around. If she orders takeaway Indian or Chinese for her family, she orders the side dishes and main dishes, but boils up rice to serve fresh at home just so she can be sure it hasnt been left lying around or has been reheated.

Stormfromeast · 03/09/2011 15:51

Keep left over rice in the fridge. Take it out when ready to stir fry them. Centuries of chinese people do them and are not extinct. So something must be right. Common sense prevails.

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