We’re often told not to reheat rice, but did you know that’s actually a myth? It is safe to eat the leftovers – but there are some rules.
A doctor has gone viral on TikTok after debunking the misconception once and for all, and explaining how to eat old rice without getting ill.
Doctor debunks rice myth
“You can eat your leftover rice, just as long as you store it and reheat it safely,” Dr. Karan Raj said.
He explained that uncooked rice can contain spores of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus which are resistant to heat, meaning they aren’t killed in cooking.
When you keep rice at room temperature for too long, these spores can grow and produce toxins that cause food poisoning, making you very unwell when consumed.
So, the issue isn’t actually with reheating the rice at all – it all comes down to the way it’s stored. As long as you store it properly, eating leftover rice is perfectly safe.
Rules for reheating rice
The doctor explained that you need to keep the rice out of the “danger zone” for bacterial growth which is between 5°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F). To do that, you must refrigerate it within two hours of cooking to rapidly cool the rice down.
Do not leave uncooked rice out on the counter for more than two hours as bacteria can start to grow. Ideally, it should be refrigerated as quickly as possible. If it has been left out, throw the rice away immediately.
If you have a large batch, he recommends splitting it into smaller containers to help it cool even faster. Then, you can safely leave the rice in the refrigerator for three to six days as long as it remains below this temperature.
When you reheat it, you need to make sure the rice is heated to at least 74°C throughout to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. If you see steam coming off the food, that’s when you know it’s hot enough to eat.
Don’t reheat more than once
It’s also important to avoid reheating rice more than once as this increases the likelihood of the bacteria growing. This means you should never reheat takeaway rice, because this has often already been reheated at the restaurant.
You can also freeze rice, but you need to make sure it’s cooled down quickly before putting it in the freezer. The UK Food Standards Agency recommends putting it in a plastic container and pouring cold water over the top to cool it.
You should always defrost your rice in the fridge first, and then reheat it until steaming hot before eating immediately.
Dr. Karan Rangarajan (MBBS), better known online as Dr. Karan Raj, is an NHS Surgeon and Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London and the University of Sunderland. He has released his own health guide called This Book May Save Your Life, and gained his medical degree from Imperial College London.
