Do you plan on using the excess rice left in the dinner yesterday in the meals for today? You shouldn't until you've read this article in its entirety. Recent studies have shown that eating leftover rice can cause food poisoning, and there is a way to avoid it too! Let's discuss in detail how a simple bowl of rice could raise such alarming health concerns.

Why Should You Be Concerned of Leftover rice?

Most Indian households have at least one meal with rice in it. The usual tendency is to make it in more amounts than necessary. This results in the rice being left over and used in the following day's meals. The studies conducted by the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom claim that leftover rice can cause food poisoning.

How Can Rice Cause Food Poisoning?

In most cases, the way rice is made has nothing to do with it causing food poisoning. It is usually the way that rice is stored that is to be blamed. Take a look at the points below to know how rice can cause food poisoning:

Rice is known to contain spores that can survive even after the rice is cooked.
These spores are responsible for causing food poisoning.
These spores contain a family of bacteria called Bacillus cereus, this bacteria is responsible for releasing food toxins.
When the rice is cooked and left idle at food temperature, it can release this virus through the spores.
The Bacillus cereus is responsible for making you feel nauseated and can also cause diarrhea.

Is There A Way To Not Catch Food Poisoning And Still Eat Leftover Rice?

An answer to that question is YES. There are certain ways in which you can eat leftover rice without it causing food poisoning. As mentioned previously, it is not so much the way of cooking but the way of keeping the rice after it has been cooked.

Rice should not be left sitting for a long time at room temperature after it gets cooked.
According to NHS, the rice should be put in the fridge within an hour of preparing it.
Rice stays good to be eaten for as long as a day, after which the risk of food poisoning increases exponentially.
One taken out of the fridge rice can only be reheated once before it goes bad.
You should serve the rice as soon as it gets prepared.

Take Home - Does Leftover Rice Cause Food Poisoning?

Knowing how popular rice is in Indian households, it is always a safe option to take certain precautions so that you can enjoy every bowl of rice without worrying about health problems. The steps to keep the leftover rice safe and healthy to eat are very simple you should make sure you follow them. And lastly, Happy EATING! For more information and free personalized guidance, talk to Credihealth Medical Experts.