You might want to think twice before eating fried or leftover rice, health experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lilly Price<\/a> USA TODAY<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because some types of dry food, including rice and pasta, contain a bacterium called Bacillus cereus<\/a> that produces a toxin when heated and left out too long, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That toxin can make you very sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFried rice is definitely one of most common food vehicles for B. cereus,\u201d said Dr. Sam Crowe, an epidemiologist at the CDC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fried rice is often associated with outbreaks<\/a> of B. cereus because of the way it\u2019s prepared, Crowe said. If a large quantity of rice made at a restaurant or home is left out to cool for several hours, the bacteria (which looks like spores) can germinate. The then-cooled contaminated rice is later fried in a pan with other ingredients, usually at a temperature that’s not sufficiently hot enough to destroy the toxin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once eaten, either the germinated spores or the toxin it produced can cause vomiting or diarrhea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key to preventing these illnesses is to keep the bacteria from multiplying after the food has been cooked. To rapidly cool leftover rice, Crowe recommends storing it in small, shallow containers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More:<\/strong>More than 56 tons of ground beef recalled in E. coli outbreak, now spanning 10 states<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n More:<\/strong>Baby cough syrup sold at Dollar General recalled after harmful bacteria discovered<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n B. cereus is a pathogen that causes two kinds of illness. If large amounts of the toxin is consumed, it will cause a vomiting sickness 30 minutes to six hours after consumption, according to the CDC. If the stimulated spores themselves are consumed and germinate in the intestines it will cause diarrhea up to 16 hours after ingestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both vomiting and diarrhea illnesses run for roughly 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For typical food poisoning, rest and rehydration are the best way to treat the illness. If someone becomes dehydrated and can\u2019t replace fluids quickly enough, they should seek medical care, Crowe advises. Those who become ill and are concerned they\u2019re not getting better in 12 to 24 hours should also see a health care provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s the worst that could happen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n