Freezing rice?

geordie_joe

shandypants5 wrote: »

When rice is boiled and then stored in the fridge without being cooled first, these spores can germinate on the cooked rice and grow well at 4 degrees Celsius.

This does not make sense to me? You are saying the spores can germinate and grow well at 4 degrees Celsius, which is fridge temperature, if they are not cooled first.

Surely, if you cool them first, or not, before you put the rice in the fridge it will soon be at 4 degrees Celsius anyway.

So what has cooling it before it goes into the fridge got to do with it?

Apart from that, isn't putting something into a fridge a very good way of cooling it? It would certainly cool the rice faster than leaving it in a warm kitchen.

shandypants5 wrote: »

If the rice is then used in a stir fry or similar dish, where the cooking time is relatively short, enough of the bacteria survive to be ingested. It is well-known to occur in people who eat take-away foods that include rice dishes.

But not in the billions of people around the world who eat rice every day and do not have fridges, microwaves or cookers, but do stir fry rice regularly.

shandypants5 wrote: »

I know we have all reheated rice with no ill effects, but like mirrorimage says.
Is it worth the risk for a few pennies?

Clearly it is, because we've all done it with no ill effects.

And we, the people who have access to a fridge, are a very small minority compared to the billions of people who reheat rice and have never had access to a fridge.

shandypants5

I was merely quoting from the webpage that I linked to. (did you read it?)

Its not my opinion its documented fact.

Most of the millions of people without fridges would also cook fresh every day and not reheat.

zippychick

Can we all remember to be nice to all moneysavers?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with freezing food for future use, or reheating food - as long as you are aware of food safety and are cautious then there shouldn't be an issue.

I have been made violently ill by thrice cooked chicken- but never by frozen and reheated rice as I follow the recommended guidelines.

If rice stays at room temperature for too long, in the bin it goes - THAT is not worth the risk to me.

geordie_joe

shandypants5 wrote: »

Is it worth the risk for a few pennies?

Well, you could have told us if it is worth the risk simply by starting your copy and paste a line earlier, but since you didn't, I will do it for you........

It was only recognised as a bacterial cause of food poisoning in 1955 and probably only accounts for about 2 per cent of all food-borne illness in the industrialised world.

So there you go, there's a 98% chance it won't harm you, make up your own mind.

While we are quoting sh!te web sites, I'll quote the very next paragraph after the ones yyou quoted.

Does Bacillus Cereus Affect Other Foods?

Yes, its not just rice, this is just the most well known example of foods that can become contaminated. Other cooked cereals such as cous cous and bulghur wheat can also be affected, as can pasta, potatoes, pastries, any foods with sauces, such as casseroles and pies. Even salads have been found to harbour Bacillus cereus spores and actively growing bacteria.

Anyone ever been told not to reheat pasta, pastries, spuds, foods with sauces, casseroles, pies or salads?

It's a good job the food saftey t*ssers don't read that site, we'd all be eating cold pies for the rest of our lives.

shandypants5

Sigh...







Message too short.

geordie_joe

shandypants5 wrote: »

I was merely quoting from the webpage that I linked to. (did you read it?)

Every single word, that is why I could see through it.

shandypants5 wrote: »

Its not my opinion its documented fact.

It is not documented fact, it's just stuff written on the internet.

shandypants5 wrote: »

Most of the millions of people without fridges would also cook fresh every day and not reheat.

Because they are so rich they can afford to waste food?

VJsmum

Quoting the bit about the bacteria being in salads makes me realise i am not mad, as i was always sure the food poisoning i got in south africa a few years ago came from salad (as the water was drinkable, i am guessing it wasn't washed).

To be fair, it was bloody nasty and the effects lasted a long time (several weeks, although the initial reaction was a couple of days), so although i have always frozen rice (usually takeaway pilau rice) and reheated it, and had no ill effects I think i may think twice next time.

shandypants5

geordie_joe wrote: »

Every single word, that is why I could see through it.



It is not documented fact, it's just stuff written on the internet.



Because they are so rich they can afford to waste food?

Joe I dont know why you have decided you dont like my comments.

I am just trying to make people aware that you must be carefull with rice.
Its not as harmless as it looks.

PROPERLY chilled and reheated rice is fine, but bunging last nights chinese in the microwave can make you very ill.

A lot of people are not aware of this and treat rice the same way they would treat mashed potato ,but it is far more likely to make you ill.

Factory frozen rice goes through some very thourough procedures to prevent this bacteria multiplying.

I am not scaremongering, the FACTS are there for people to research for themselves from whatever source they choose. (where do you get your facts from by the way).

Mojisola

I don't think that bacteria is the main problem with reheating rice, it's the toxins produced by the bacteria. If the rice isn't cooled fast enough, the bacteria in it will grow and produce toxins. Freezing and/or reheating properly will kill the bacteria, but not the toxins which can make you sick.

It's like many things in life - most of the time we get away with it, especially if you're fit and healthy.

I would be more wary of serving reheated rice to little ones and older people and anyone who already has health problems which might leave them less able to cope with the toxins.

rachbc

well (and this is personaly expereince not a recommendation) I often accidentally leave my rice in the pan overnight and zap it half hearted for lunch the next day - I must be one fo the lucky 98%