We can reheat and eat the cooked meals to avoid wasting them. Although it is extremely practical to divide the remaining food into different days and reheat it, it also brings with it some drawbacks.
DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE!
Australian Dietitian Kim Lindsay made a striking warning on the subject. The expert explained the foods that should not be reheated after cooking.
“RICE IS A BIG RISK”
Rice is a food we are often told not to reheat. But you may not know why you were warned against it. “Rice is a big risk. This food is heat resistant, so even when you heat them, they can cause harmful pathogens,” Kim told the Daily Mail. Uncooked grains may contain a bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which is not always killed during the cooking process. This may cause food poisoning. According to the NHS, Bacillus cereus spores can grow in rice left at room temperature. These multiply and can produce toxins that cause vomiting or diarrhea.
The NHS states that the longer you leave rice at room temperature, the more likely it is that toxic substances will develop. To avoid getting sick, you should chill your rice as quickly as possible – ideally within an hour of cooking – and not leave it in the refrigerator for more than a day before eating. If you choose to reheat, you should make sure it is steaming completely hot.
IT INCREASES YOUR RISK OF GETTING SICK!
According to Kim, reheating potatoes may increase your risk of getting sick. Just like rice, the danger comes from storing starchy fiber at room temperature: storing it for more than two hours can lead to the growth of Clostridium botulinum.
The deadly toxins produced by this bacteria can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called botulism, which can attack the brain, nerves, and spinal cord and cause paralysis. The NHS said bacteria produce botulism, which causes toxins when deprived of oxygen, so foodborne botulism is often caused by substances in sealed cans or bottles.
When it comes to potatoes, Kim explained that Clostridium botulinum will come from the soil in which they grow. Baking potatoes in foil can increase the risk of botulism because the material cuts off oxygen and can encourage bacterial growth in the potato. Mashing potatoes with perishable ingredients like milk, butter and cream can increase your risk of getting sick if you reheat them, Kim said. Again, he recommended not keeping the puree at room temperature for more than two hours and said you should heat it until steam comes out.
IT CAUSES SERIOUS INFECTIONS!
Failure to properly reheat greens like spinach can cause Listeriosis, a serious infection that results in fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, neck stiffness, confusion, and even seizures. The disease is caused by the bacteria Listeria, which can linger in foodstuffs.
Prepared salads and store-bought greens tend to carry Listeria, according to Kim. The NHS added that dairy products made from unpasteurised milk, cheeses such as camembert and brie, as well as sliced meats, could put you at risk of Listeriosis.
EXPERT WARNED: “FOOD RISK POISONING INCREASES!”
Fourth on Kim’s list of risky foods to reheat were eggs. Breakfast foods can carry salmonella bacteria, which can cause all kinds of unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting. Kim says eggs stored at temperatures between 40 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit (4C to 74C) are the ‘danger zone.’
The expert made the following statements in his statement:
“Pathogens can grow faster when they are at this temperature. If there are more pathogens and more harmful bacteria in a food, then the risk of food poisoning increases when we eat it.”
