An essential base for our bowls, risottos and side dishes, rice is a food that requires particular vigilance once cooked.
Rice is an essential daily food. Just like pasta. Whether in a salad, in a bowl, in a risotto or as an accompaniment, this simple and quick-to-prepare starchy food effectively quenches hunger. But be careful. Behind this seemingly banal grain lies an often unrecognized danger. “You can get sick easily from rice” recalls nutritionist Laurence Plumey. We also talk about “cooked rice syndrome”, “fried rice” or “Cantonese rice”.
How eating rice can make us sick? Eating rice can lead to serious food poisoning if it is stored improperly. Either at bad temperatures or too long. The cause is the presence of the bacteria “Bacillus cereus” in the soils of the rice fields where it grows. “In most of the rice you buy, there is this bacteria” reveals the expert in video. Fortunately, the bacteria is largely destroyed when the rice is immersed in boiling water, but it can persist in the form of “spores”. These remain dormant in the cooked rice and just need to be reactivated as soon as its temperature drops. This is where the danger begins.
We are all used to letting rice cool slowly before storing it. Serious error according to the expert: “When the temperature of the rice drops, the spores reactivate. You put it in the fridge, which calms the bacteria, but as soon as you take it out to reheat it the next day, they wake up.” The longer the stay in the fridge lasts, the more the bacterial load increases. Laurence Plumey is categorical: “If you keep your rice in the refrigerator for 48 hours, there may be spores on the second day that can poison you.” His advice is simple.
“When you buy rice, you rinse it even if it is in a bag. Then count 70 grams of rice per person to avoid any remaining. Once at the table, when everyone has served themselves, if there is any rice left, do not delay putting it back in the refrigerator and do not keep it for more than 24 hours.” After this time, throw away the rice. Infections linked to Bacillus cereus are relatively uncommon in France and generally benign. But people with weak immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women and babies are more susceptible.
Symptoms of food poisoning from rice can appear 2 to 16 hours after contamination with vomiting, diarrhea and violent abdominal pain. They often heal spontaneously within 12 to 24 hours, but if they persist or worsen, you should consult a doctor immediately.
