How to avoid food poisoning from rice

One of my clients asked me recently about the risk of food poisoning from eating reheated rice.

Yes – food poisoning from consuming reheated rice does occur.

It is not, however, the reheating that causes the problem but the way the rice was stored before it was reheated.  Many outbreaks of food poisoning which emerge from the catering industry are found to be caused by the inadequate cooling of food.

To put things in perspective, there have only been 85 reported cases of rice food poisoning in the UK since 1992.   These are often associated with restaurants and take-aways where large quantities of rice are cooked and held at warm temperatures for long periods.

One of the organisms associated with food poisoning in rice is Bacillus cereus; Salmonella spp and various other organisms are also implicated.

Cooked rice and Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is a spore-forming bacterium that occurs naturally in many kinds of foods and can cause illness in humans.   It forms spores which are resistant to heating and dehydration and can therefore survive cooking and dry storage.  These spores will survive the cooking process but present little risk provided that cooked rice is:

a) Served and eaten immediately, or
b) Kept hot above 63°C prior to eating, or
c) Cooled rapidly (less than 1 hour) and then kept refrigerated (4˚C or less) or frozen until required

When foods containing B. cereus spores are in the ‘temperature danger zone’ (4˚C to 60˚C) the spores may germinate, and the bacteria may grow, produce toxins, and make people sick. Such illness is frequently linked with starchy foods of plant origin such as rice, pasta, potatoes, pastry and noodles.

B. cereus can cause vomiting or diarrhoea and, in some cases, both. This depends on the kinds of toxin it produces.

When B. cereus grows and produces ‘emetic toxin’ in food, it can cause vomiting, even if the food is cooked again and no live bacteria are eaten. This is because the toxin is not easily destroyed by heating.

When food containing live B. cereus is eaten, the bacteria may grow and produce another toxin, ‘diarrhoeal toxin’, in the gut. This can result in diarrhoeal symptoms.

Illness from B. cereus can be prevented by making certain that hot foods are kept hot and cold foods are stored cold.  It is important to remember that re-heating food that has been ‘temperature abused’ will not make it safe.  Recovery from illness is usually between 12-24 hours.  Very rarely there can be complications and even fatalities.

10 rules of safe handling of rice

1. Always keep dry rice in cool, dry conditions off the floor.
2. Do not expose dry rice to moisture as this can encourage mould growth.
3. Never leave cooked rice to cool on its own. Always chill it quickly (definitely within an hour and preferably faster) either under running cold water or spread thinly on trays in a fridge.  The temperature in the fridge should be no higher than 4˚C.
4. If cooked rice is to be kept hot e.g. on a serving counter, ensure it is always above 63°C
5. Avoid keeping rice hot for more than 2 hours and throw away any leftovers.
6. If cooked rice has been chilled or frozen ensure that it is thoroughly reheated (temperature must be greater than 63˚C) and is piping hot throughout.
7. Cold rice salads should be kept chilled (4˚C or below).  If part of a buffet, they should not be kept at room temperature for longer than 1 hour.
8. Never re-chill once it has been kept at room temperature – throw it away.
9. Never keep rice chilled for longer than 3 days or frozen for longer than 1 month.
10. Once cooked rice has been re-heated, throw away any leftovers. Never re-heat rice more than once.

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References

The EFSA Journal (2005) 175, 1-48, “Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp in foodstuffs”  http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/175.pdf

NHS Choices.  How to store food safely
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/how-to-store-food-safely.aspx

Health Protection Agency.  Reported outbreaks of B. cereus 1992-2010
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/BacillusSppFoodPoisoning/EpidemiologicalData/

Tilda – Cooking basmati rice
http://www.tilda.com/our-rice/cooking-basmati-rice

J. Hyg., Camb (1974), 73, 433.  The survival and growth of Bacillus cereus in boiled and fried rice in relation to outbreaks of food poisoning

Healthy aging

Learn how to make simple changes to your diet and lifestyle and transform the way your body works at a Cooking for Health course on Sunday 23 September 2012 in Somerset UK.

Quinoa, chickpea (garbanzo), avocado and olive salad

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is gaining popularity in European cuisine.  It is no longer confined to the shelves of health food stores and can also be found in most mainstream supermarkets.  The United Nations has declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa to highlight the virtues of this "golden grain of the Incas".

Quinoa is the seed of a broad leaf plant of Andean origin which is botanically related to the common broad leaf weed fat hen (UK) or lamb's quarters (US), and is often used like a grain.  It has a mild nutty flavour and is easy to cook.

Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids.  In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair.  It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium and phosphorus.

Not only this, but the crop has a remarkable adaptability to different agro-ecological regions. It can grow at relative humidity from 40% to 88%, and withstands temperatures from -4 ° C to 38 ° C. It is a highly water efficient plant, is tolerant and resistant to lack of soil moisture, and produces acceptable yields with rainfall of 100 to 200 mm (FAO).  Whilst Peru, Bolivia and the USA are the main producers, it is currently being successfully cultivated in several countries in Europe and Asia.

There are more than three thousand varieties of quinoa, grouped into five main classes according to the altitude at which they can grow,  The different varieties produce seed of different colours.

Varieties of quinoa (www.fao.org)

Cooking quinoa

One of the beauties of quinoa is that it only takes 15 minutes to cook, so you can use it to prepare a nutritious meal in a hurry.

Measure 1 cup quinoa, wash it, drain it and place it in a pot with 1 1/2 cups water.  Put on the lid and cook on a medium flame until it boils, then reduce to a minimum flame and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has gone.  Do not remove the lid during cooking.  It is easy to tell when it is done because the seeds display a little white thread that curls around them.

When the quinoa has cooked, you can then mix in your choice of salad ingredients.  

Recipe

• 1 cup red quinoa (rinsed in cold water)
• 1.5 cups hot water
• I can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), marinated in dressing (see ingredients below)
• 1 avocado (peeled, chopped and sprinkled with fresh lime juice to prevent browning) 
• 12 olives (green, black or mixed)
• 1/2 red bell pepper (washed, de-seeded and chopped)
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper (washed de-seeded and chopped)
• 1 handful fresh basil (washed and finely chopped)
• Fresh basil to garnish

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic - pressed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice (grate 1 cm piece root ginger and squeeze juice out. For more details please click here)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil

1. Combine ingredients for dressing and marinade chickpeas in it while quinoa is cooking
2. Add water to quinoa in a thick-based pan. Cover and bring to boil. Turn heat down low and simmer for 15 minutes until quinoa is cooked and water has evaporated.
3. When quinoa has cooled, mix in all other ingredients and garnish with fresh basil.


Serve as a one-dish meal for lunch or as a side dish as part of dinner.

Other ideas for salad ingredients include cherry tomatoes; carrots; spring onions (scallions); other fresh herbs like parsley, coriander (cilantro), lemon balm, oregano, marjoram; cashew nuts; and beans.  

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