‘Fried rice syndrome’: Dietitians warn against eating food left out at room temperature

Food safety experts have been taking to TikTok to warn against fried rice syndrome and what causes it. Fried rice syndrome is a type of food poisoning which occurs when certain dry foods, such as pasta and rice, contain a bacterium called Bacillus cereus that produces a toxin when heated and left out too long, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Concern over the food poisioning has grown recently after reports of 20 year old dying in 2008 from eating five-day-old pasta circulated on TikTok. The concern over the possibility of food poisoning from leftovers has prompted dieticians and other food safety officials to explain what temperatures are and aren’t safe for leftovers. Kyndall Weir is a sports dietician who goes by the username @theathletedietitian on TikTok. In her video, she recalled one of her clients who was eating from the same pizza every week without storing it in the fridge. She then explained why doing something like that can be dangerous by referring to the “temperature danger zone,” which is echoed in the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s food safety website. “If something is supposed to be refrigerated and it reaches above 40F degrees, bacteria can start to grow,” Weir explained. “On the other hand, something that is supposed to be hot, like that rice that was cooked, cools down below 140F. That is also in the temperature danger zone.” People had so many questions that the TikToker began a food safety series on her page. One person asked, “Can I heat food up [and] put it directly back in the fridge hot? Bc I heard that’s bad but I do it secretly. BUT I will stop if I should.” Weir responded, “Technically you should let it cool before putting it back in the fridge.” But Weir isn’t the only content creator speaking out about food safety and fried rice syndrome. Dr Shazma Mithani, who goes by the username @drshazmamithani, also posted about the same subject. @theathletedietitian #stitch with @Jpall20 #greenscreen why food safety is so important!!! Im immediately turning this into a series #athletenutrition ♬ Spooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs - Skittlegirl Sound “Do not leave starchy food like rice, pasta, or potatoes out at room temperature,” she warned in the video. “There’s a very specific bacteria that thrives in this environment and produces a toxin that is heat stable, meaning that even when you reheat the food, it does not kill that toxin.” She included more information in the caption, where she clarified that leaving out leftovers longer than they should is usually not a problem, but “starchy foods” can be more prone to the bacteria exposure than other foods. @drshazmamithani Share this to keep your friends and family safe! We are all guilty of letting food sit out for longer than we would like to. Often, it’s not a big deal, but for starchy foods like rice, it’s the perfect breeding ground for a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. This bacteria produces a heat stable toxin that survives even when the rice is reheated. It’s can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Please share this and follow for more tips and tricks to keep you and your entire family healthy and out of the ER. . . . . . #foodsafety #food #rice #pasta #potatoes #toxin #bacteria #foodpoisoning #vomiting #diarrhea #er ♬ original sound - Dr. Shazma Mithani, MD, FRCPC According to the USDA, best practices for safely storing hot leftovers is to refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking the food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm. After food is safely cooked, hot food must also be kept hot at 140F or warmer to prevent bacterial growth. With cold food, it should be discarded after sitting at room temperature for over two hours, and one hour if it’s been sitting at a temperature above 90F. Read More ‘It can be hard when your kids leave the nest,’ mother says as study finds parents want their children back Sitting this many hours a day ‘rapidly increases’ dementia risk, study warns Woman warns not to ignore symptoms after hot flushes lead to leukaemia diagnosis Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat