M’sia Health Ministry Warns Us About Having Leftover Rice After 4 Hours

By
Siti Hawa
-
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Keeping leftover rice is something I’m sure most families do.

That or cooking a big batch of rice way in advance and leaving the remainder just so you won’t have to cook it again.

Apparently, this is a no go.

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M’sia Health Ministry Warns Us About Having Leftover Rice After 4 Hours

Malaysia’s Ministry Of Health warned of the dangers of eating leftover rice.

They also advise that once your rice starts to smell a bit funky, it’s best not to take any chances and to just throw it away.

Seems pretty obvious right? Don’t eat funky smelling food. Even a child could figure that out.

But think about it, how many of us actually pause to take a big whiff of our food when we’re ravenous and just trying to find something to eat?

Image: Tenor

Here’s their post:

Here’s a translation of the post, as provided by MSNews:

“Did you know that reheated rice can cause food poisoning?

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This is not caused by reheating the rice, but the way we store the rice before reheating it.

When rice is stored at room temperature for more than 4 hours, the bacterial spores in the rice become active again. This causes the breeding of the bacillus cereus bacteria which produces poisonous toxins.

Rice that’s slimy and smelly cannot be eaten. This is why it’s important to emphasise on proper food storage.

Cooked rice that’s not finished must be kept in a closed container in a fridge.”

You Can Reheat Rice, But Be Sure To Store It Properly

Don’t worry, you will be able to reheat rice as that’s not what causes it to go bad. It’s the way you store it that matters.

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  • If you have steaming hot leftover rice, ensure that you let it cool before you store it in a container. 
  • The rice should be placed in the fridge within an hour, so don’t let it sit outside for too long.
  • Rice should not be reheated and should be thrown out within a day.

Let’s be clear, food poisoning is no laughing matter and we should all be especially careful when it comes to staple food like rice.

Here’s what NCMPs are, and what to expect after GE2025:

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Siti Hawa
Email: [email protected]