Safe Handling of Cooked Rice
Have you ever heard that it’s not safe to reheat rice? That may be true if you did not properly cool the cooked rice. Rice, along with other grains, can have spores of the bacteria Bacillus cereus. These spores can survive the cooking process and lead to foodborne illness if the food is not handled properly. Improper cooling or sitting at room temperature for more than two hours can allow spores to germinate and produce a toxin. This toxin is what makes people sick, causing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
It is important to keep cooked rice out of the danger zone, 40 degrees F to 140 degrees F. This means that you should keep cooked rice hot (above 140 degrees F) until served and cool any leftovers rapidly to 40 degrees F or below. Do not let rice sit out on the counter. The longer cooked rice is at room temperature, the more likely it is that toxins can make the rice unsafe to eat. Place cooked rice in shallow containers without lids and put immediately in the refrigerator. Once cool, cover the containers and store no more than five days.
You can safely reheat properly cooked and cooled rice in the microwave. Place the rice in a microwave-safe container and add a little water or broth. Cover with a lid so the rice can steam. Heat until the internal temperature of the rice is 165 degrees F. Use a food thermometer to be sure. Discard any leftovers and do not reheat more than once.
For more information on safe food handling contact your local Extension office.
Reference: Preventing Foodborne Illness: Bacillus cereus
Source: Annhall Norris, Extension Specialist, Food Preservation and Food Safety
Social media post: You can safely reheat rice as long as you cook and cool it properly first. Follow our steps to make sure you don’t get sick when you reheat rice.