If making one big pot of rice is part of your weekly meal prep routine, you may want to think again.
In a now-deleted video with over 692,000 views, TikToker and med student Licia (@liciugh) shares a warning about eating reheated rice that she recently learned in class.
“Imagine my African and Caribbean shock when we learned that you’re not supposed to eat reheated rice,” Licia says in the clip. “Because you can get food poisoning from a bacteria called B. cereus. No, let’s be serious.”
Licia recounts that her mother used to make one pot of rice on the weekend, which would last her family the entire week.
“You’re telling me I have to cook rice every day? I don’t know if I can do that one,” she says. “I was sitting there in class like, ‘How long has the rice been sitting in my refrigerator that I’m going to eat for dinner?’”
@liciugh MAKE SURE TO REFRIGERATE YOUR RICE RIGHT AFTER COOKING YALLLLLL, dont let it get to room temp apparentlyyy& you’ll be fine (i guess) 😭😭
♬ original sound – licia💐
How serious is B. cereus?
Most cases of B. cereus are mild and resolve on their own with symptoms like nausea and abdominal cramps, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
However, in rare cases, the infection can cause blindness and death.
Not all reheated rice is dangerous. Licia points out in the caption, “Don’t let it get to room temp apparentlyyy& you’ll be fine (i guess).”
She’s correct: B. cereus grows on food left at room temperature. So, transferring your rice to the fridge immediately after cooking lowers your risk.
Viewers are resistant
Despite the risk of a bacterial infection, viewers say they will continue to reheat their rice.
“Skipping this video cause I don’t need this negativity,” one writes.
“They won’t convince me idc. My family has been doing it for too long and everyone is alive,” another says.
“Nice info … still gonna reheat it i fear,” a third adds.
The Daily Dot reached out to Licia via email and TikTok comment.
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