Do you have leftovers in the fridge? Nothing is more practical than passing them to microwave before sitting at the table. Be careful though, not all foods are not compatible with microwave protection. And for good reason, this cooking method can alter taste and texture of certain foods, or even promote proliferation of bacteria. You then risk food poisoning.
This is the case of rice ! The cause is the presence of the Bacillus cereus bacteria in cooked rice. For this reason, you should not reheat it several times.
Cooked rice contains a sporulating bacteria called Bacillus cereus
“Recheating rice in the microwave will not suddenly cause bacteria to develop, if you keep it cool like any cooked product in an airtight container. But he Do not reheat cooked rice several times, because if it contains bacteria, reheating will develop more with each heating. It can therefore only be reheated once », specifies Raphaël Gruman, nutritionist (The Gruman Method).
A study published in the International Journal of Food Biology and carried out by the University of Cambridge (UK) highlighted a risk of food poisoning following the consumption of rice reheated in the microwave. This phenomenon is linked to the presence of bacteria Bacillus cereus in the cooked rice.
Cooked rice contains a sporulating bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which is commonly found in soil and vegetables. The bacteria itself does not survive microwave cooking. However, it frees toxic spores, which resist heat very well. Reheated rice may therefore still contain harmful pathogens.
THE symptoms which can result are vomiting, diarrhea, bloating or abdominal pain…
It is imperative to refrigerate your leftover rice once it has been cooked and cooled: “in the case of slow cooling or keeping warm, re-cooking may be unnecessary to destroy the highly heat-resistant emetizing toxin” specifies the Ministry of Agriculture.
Above all, do not keep cooked rice in the fridge for more than 7 days and check the temperature of your refrigerator regularly: maximum, 4°C.
Containers that should definitely not be put in the microwave
Very practical, the microwave allows you to reheat your food in record time. But it still has some limitations. The microwave oven does not allow even cooking. It is then common to find yourself with a dish that is hot on the outside and still cold on the inside… which also means that the bacteria potentially present in the food are not all eliminated.
Be careful about the containing in which you heat your food. Never introduce metal, at the risk of damaging the microwave or even injuring yourself! Indeed, metals are electrical conductors. They may cause a fire in the microwave.
Do not put plastic in the microwave. Besides the risk that it melts, purely and simply, it can also release toxic molecules – notably endocrine disruptors – which will migrate into the reheated food.
Put your meal in a glass, earthenware, porcelain or ceramic container.
