People told to only reheat takeaway rice if they follow three rules

If you’ve ever warmed up rice from a takeaway, you may well have worried about whether it might make you sick later. However, according to specialists, there’s a safe method to do it. To help settle the issue, Narriman Looch, head of food hygiene at the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), said that rice needs particular care.

Speaking to consumer champions at Which?, the expert said some takeaways pre-cook their rice and reheat it before delivering it to you. But the FSA advises against reheating food more than once, so what do you do?

Whether rice is safe largely depends on how it was prepared, chilled and stored initially. First, if you’re uncertain, ask the restaurant whether the rice was freshly cooked or had already been reheated before being served. Second, if the rice is suitable for reheating, it’s important to chill it rapidly, preferably within one hour, and keep it refrigerated.

Thirdly, when warming up, make certain it’s steaming hot all the way through. The specialists additionally caution people against leaving rice at room temperature. This is a common error that allows bacteria such as Bacillus cereus to thrive, potentially leading to food poisoning.

How to reheat rice safely

You can use a rice cooker to reheat rice, but only on the cook or steam settings. The “keep warm” mode doesn’t reach a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. To stop the rice from becoming dry, consider adding a small amount of water before reheating.

The experts suggest: “If your rice has been safely stored, try turning it into crispy rice cakes: combine the cold rice with a beaten egg and some chopped spring onions, shape into patties and fry in a little oil in a pan on a hob until golden on both sides. They’re especially tasty served with fish.”

Remember…

• Reheating means cooking your food again, not just warming it up, so make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through

• Cool leftovers quickly (within one hour) and refrigerate them

• Eat chilled leftovers within 2-3 days

• Never reheat food more than once

Narriman Looch, head of food hygiene at the FSA, told Which: “It’s OK to chill or freeze some leftover takeaways to reheat later. Ideally, you should check with the takeaway or restaurant to ensure the food is suitable for chilling or freezing and reheating, and follow good food hygiene at home. Never reheat food more than once.”

They conclude by reminding people that when in doubt, throw it out. “Don’t take the risk” they warn, adding: “It’s better to be cautious than to end up with food poisoning.”

NHS warning – food poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning:

1. feeling sick or being sick
2. diarrhoea
3. tummy pain
4. a high temperature
5. feeling generally unwell

Call 111/NHS 24 if:

• you’re worried about a baby under 12 months
• your child stops breast or bottle feeding while they’re ill
• a child under 5 years has signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies
• you or your child (aged 5 years or over) still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets
• you or your child keep being sick and cannot keep fluid down
• you or your child have bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom
• you or your child have diarrhoea for more than 7 days or vomiting for more than 2 days

Call 999 if you:

• vomit blood or have vomit that looks like ground coffee
• have green vomit (adults)
• have yellow-green or green vomit (children)
• may have swallowed something poisonous
• have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
• have a sudden, severe headache
• have a sudden, severe tummy ache
• have blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• are having severe difficulty breathing, or taking lots of quick, short breaths
• are confused or not responding as usual