Leftover rice can be healthy, but only if you follow these instructions: UK surgeon shares storage safety guidelines
Cooked more rice than you can finish? Storing leftovers is perfectly fine – but only if you handle them correctly. When rice isn’t cooled, stored, or reheated within the right time window, it can quickly turn from a harmless staple into a cause of serious food poisoning.
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Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and popular health content creator, is breaking down when leftover rice is safe to eat, why timing and temperature matter, and how improper storage can leave you feeling very unwell the next day. In an Instagram video shared on December 31, the surgeon explains that leftover rice can actually be healthier – but only when it is handled, stored, and reheated correctly by following these key safety instructions.
Why does storage matter for leftover rice?
According to Dr Rajan, leftover rice is perfectly safe – and even healthy – to eat, as long as it is stored and reheated correctly. He explains that uncooked rice can contain spores of certain bacteria, which can survive cooking and multiply if cooked rice is left at room temperature for several hours.
He explains, “Uncooked rice can contain Bacillus cereus spores which are heat resistant. So when you leave warm rice sitting out at room temperature for hours and hours, those spores can multiply and produce heat stable toxins which in the worst case can increase the risk of food poisoning, you know the kind that has you delightfully leaking from both ends. And this can happen with pasta, potatoes, and other starchy foods as well.”
Important safety instructions
Dr Rajan points out that the real risk arises when cooked rice is left out for too long within the bacterial “danger zone,” defined as temperatures between 5°C and 60°C (40-140°F), where bacteria can multiply rapidly.
He recommends, “So, to be extra food safe, refrigerate your rice one to two hours after cooking. And if you’ve got a large batch of rice, split it into multiple containers. And you can keep it safely in the fridge for three to six days as long as you store it at 40° Fahrenheit or below. And when you reheat it, make sure it goes to 165°F all the way through. And avoid reheating the same thing more than once.”
The surgeon also cautions against reheating takeaway rice, noting that it may have already been reheated once before, which increases the risk of bacterial growth. He adds, “If you ignore all of that advice, chances are you’ll probably be fine. It’s just food hygiene practices for risk reduction, just like washing your hands after you take a dump.”
Leftover rice is actually healthy
Dr Rajan highlights that leftover rice can actually be better for your health, as it behaves more like fibre than a simple carbohydrate, being digested and absorbed more slowly by the body. He explains, “Leftover rice is actually better for your health. Cooling cooked rice forms resistant starch, a type of fibre that your gut microbes love. It feeds beneficial bacteria and boosts the production of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
