"Death Risk from Eating Fried Rice Incorrectly" ... Reexamining 'Fried Rice Syndrome'

Even in Cool Weather, Do Not Store at Room Temperature
'Bacillus' Food Poisoning Bacteria Risk
Heat-Resistant, Cannot Be Prevented by Reheating

Could eating cooked grains such as fried rice or pasta lead to death? Overseas, this condition is known as 'Fried rice syndrome.' It refers to the risk of infection by food poisoning bacteria that can cause death in the worst cases if cooked food is left at room temperature.

Recently, a video related to Fried rice syndrome was uploaded on the video streaming platform 'TikTok,' attracting the attention of netizens. The TikToker 'jpall20' revisited an incident in 2008 where a 20-year-old university student living in Brussels, Belgium, suddenly died after eating pasta.

According to the explanation, the student boiled the pasta and then stored it at room temperature for five days before reheating and eating it. However, after consuming the pasta, the student experienced nausea, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, and vomiting, and ultimately died within 10 hours.

Fried rice. [Image source=Pixabay]

Local investigators performed an autopsy on the student's body, revealing that the cause of death was acute liver failure due to hepatocellular necrosis.

This case is also a famous example of 'Fried rice syndrome,' reported in the international scientific journal 'Clinical Microbiology.' The deceased student was infected with Bacillus cereus bacteria, which causes Fried rice syndrome.

Bacillus cereus is a food poisoning bacterium commonly found everywhere, especially spreading well in grains rich in carbohydrates such as rice and pasta.

The characteristic of this bacterium is that it survives even after high-temperature heating. In other words, it is difficult to avoid infection even if grain dishes left at room temperature for a long time are reheated and eaten.

Bacillus cereus produces heat-resistant spores when heated, resulting in strong heat resistance that does not die even after heating at over 135 degrees Celsius for 4 hours.

It can also survive for a long time in dried foods. For this reason, instant foods containing carbohydrates, such as ramen, can also be dangerous if left for excessively long periods.

If infected with this disease, symptoms are reported to cause either diarrhea-type or vomiting-type symptoms depending on the toxins produced by the bacteria. Vomiting-type toxins spread throughout the food itself, causing vomiting, while diarrhea-type toxins cause cramps and diarrhea after consuming the food. Children with underlying diseases or weakened immune systems should be especially cautious as the worst cases can lead to death.

To prevent Bacillus cereus infection, cooked food must be stored in the refrigerator. Bacillus cereus grows between 7 and 60 degrees Celsius.