Wellness

[Mindy D]

I recently learned about food poisoning from fried rice and white rice. The illness is caused by improper storage of cooked rice and improper temperatures in cooking the rice. 

It is caused by the growth of Bacillus cereus. The bacteria can still be alive after cooking and can proliferate before refrigeration takes place. As the rice sits for just a short while at room temperature, under two hours, the bacteria produces spores which produce two different toxins, one of which is emetic (causing vomiting) and one of which is diarreahal. The toxins are extremely difficult to destroy upon reheating the rice, requiring 80 to 90 minutes at very high temperatures to destroy. Very few people reheat rice this way. The key is to prevent the toxins from being produced in the first place by proper cooking and handling of the rice. Rice should be eaten immediately after initial cooking at high temperatures and should not be left sitting out after cooking. It should be stored in small, shallow containers, in small amounts in each container, to allow for its rapid cooling in the refrigerator. Reheating should be at very high temperatures and should ensure that all the rice is reheated throughout.

• “Do fry and eat the rice or refrigerate leftover rice within two hours after boiling.
• Don’t just put a big pot of rice in the fridge. When properly storing leftover rice, the key is not the material but the size, according to Crowe.
• Do divide large amounts of food into shallow containers so it can cool quickly and prevent bacteria growth.
• Don’t leave boiled rice out overnight.
• Do seek medical care if symptoms of foodborne illness persist over 24 hours.”

Above bulleted  list  is exerpted from “Eating leftover rice can make you very sick.  Here’s how to properly store it” by Lilly Price in USA TODAY, May 2, 2019

[novamc1]

Not all rice might be so wonderful, whether fried or not.

Much of it contains potentially toxic levels of arsenic, according to Consumer Reports, which has been preaching on this subject for a long time, repeatedly.

Supposedly depends on where the rice is grown.

[millieshops]

@Mindy DYikes!  Sometimes I wonder why the world population continues to grow and grow given all the toxins that can attack us.

[Mindy D]

What concerns me most is not knowing how Chinese restaurants handle their cooked rice. Do they make a big pot of it and let it sit out until they make fried rice from it hours later? 

[Mindy D]

For further reference

https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Preventing-Foodborne-Illness-Bacillus-cereus.pdf

[2blonde]

@Mindy D   Thanks for this heads-up.  I don't often eat rice, but this is new info for me.  Good to know!

[Mz iMac]

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@Mindy D wrote:

What concerns me most is not knowing how Chinese restaurants handle their cooked rice. Do they make a big pot of it and let it sit out until they make fried rice from it hours later? 

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The rice is steamed to order in a wok.  It's never boiled or cooked American style unless the customer requested it.

Not sure about the Japanese.  You can't see their kitchens from the takeout counter like you do the Chinese joints.

[SilleeMee]

I come from a bi-racial Japanese-American family and was raised on white rice. Never had a problem with it, even when it was left out on the counter over night. In fact, most Japanese do not refrigerate their cooked rice. They will tell you not to do that because it changes the texture of the rice...not in a good way. They will, however refrigerate the rice and use that for fried rice dishes. My mom would cook a Japanese brand of short-grain white rice in a rice cooker which boils then steams it. But before it was cooked it was washed thoroughly then soaked in water at room temp for almost 8 hours prior to cooking it.

[novamc1]

We used to get Chinese carryout food from a small place where you could easily see the food and the servers and  cooks  working behind the counter.

A big lidded stainless steel vat of white rice was stored behind the counter, and an ice cream scoop was used to dish it out.  It probably sat there all day.  It was given a quick stir-fry when fried rice was ordered.

Supposedly rice containing arsenic (which comes from the water and  soil where it was grown) should either be soaked before cooking, or cooked in a large amount of water to cut down on the arsenic content.

Rice grown in the U.S. often grows on former cotton fields down South, and of course is usually grown in watery conditions around the world.  These factors contribute to the arsenic content, from what I've read.

[Mindy D]

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@Mz iMac wrote:

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@Mindy D wrote:

What concerns me most is not knowing how Chinese restaurants handle their cooked rice. Do they make a big pot of it and let it sit out until they make fried rice from it hours later? 

---

The rice is steamed to order in a wok.  It's never boiled or cooked American style unless the customer requested it.

Not sure about the Japanese.  You can't see their kitchens from the takeout counter like you do the Chinese joints.

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I mean that after cooking the white rice, do they leave the quantities of white rice out at room temperature awaiting orders and then use the white rice to make fried rice with it.