Rice is part of a stable diet in an Indian household. In many parts of India, rice is a daily food item and is prepared in various delicious ways! As such, it isn’t a surprise that there's a lot of leftover rice daily that can be left to make a dish later or to be eaten the next day itself. That question arises, is it safe to have rice in the days after it is cooked? Having leftover rice means you get to store and make something like fried rice, or have it with some leftover veggies later but you must stay very careful because if the rice has gone bad, you may have to deal with the consequences like a stomach ache, diarrhoea and other symptoms later on! Why is it not safe?The reason why it isn’t safe is a bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which is usually found in rice that is kept it room temperature for a very long time. This is especially an issue in summer as the food can get spoiled in a very short amount of time as bacteria thrive in heat. This bacterium does not die when the rice is being cooked and can multiply in record time creating spores that cause food poisoning. The food poisoning that happens due to this bacterium is also called the ‘Fried Rice Syndrome’ as per research published by Microbial Pathogenesis in 2023. You must remember that these bacteria are heat resistant so even if you cook the rice before you eat it, it can still cause you issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. How to store it safelyTo minimize the issues caused by the risk of foodborne diseases you can try these methods,Cool QuicklyAs these bacteria are heat resistant, you cannot hope to kill them when it’s cooked, however, you can make sure that it is not left at room temperature longer than needed. So instead of just sticking the hot rice into the fridge and spoiling the rice, spread the cooked rice on a baking sheet or shallow pan to cool it down rapidly. Store ProperlyStorage is a crucial step to ensure the safety of your food. When you are keeping it in the fridge, transfer the cooled rice to airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. This will make sure that the bacterium does not get the air to multiply and spoil the rice, keeping it safe for consumption. Label and DateLabel the containers with the storage date to track consumption. Sometimes we can mistake a container to be recent leftovers, when it is older than most foods there. That is a recipe for disaster as something that was kept in the freezer for too long is too stale to consume and will cause issues. Refrigerate PromptlyKeeping the rice in room temp and giving it too much air makes sure that Bacillus cereus can multiply in a very short amount of time. Store the rice in the refrigerator within one hour of cooking at or below 40°F. Consume Within DaysAs good as meal prepping is, if you can make food then try to have fresh food as much as possible and in case of leftovers, consume them as soon as possible to avoid any chances of food getting spoiled. Leftover rice should be consumed within three to four days.