When rice is cooked, it can still contain spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. These spores are heat-resistant, meaning they can survive normal cooking. The real danger begins after cooking, not during reheating.
If cooked rice is left at room temperature for several hours, especially in warm weather (very common in India), these spores grow into bacteria and start producing toxins. This is the critical mistake. Once these toxins are formed, reheating the rice does NOT destroy them, even if the rice is very hot.
Eating such rice can lead to food poisoning, with symptoms like vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and weakness, usually within 1–6 hours of consumption.
Safe practice:
- Cool cooked rice quickly after cooking
- Store it in the refrigerator within 1–2 hours
- Reheat only once, until steaming hot
- Never eat rice kept overnight at room temperature
This one habit change can prevent serious stomach infections and hospital visits.
