Is it safe to reheat rice?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
The FSA is clear: reheated-rice food poisoning comes from how the rice was stored, not the reheating. Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking and multiply in warm rice, making heat-proof toxins. The rules: chill within one hour, in small portions for speed; fridge for no more than a day; never park rice on keep-warm for hours; reheat only once, steaming hot all the way through; or eat it cold within 24 hours. The classic poisoning story is rice left out for hours first. Get the chilling right and leftover rice is fine.
What to do
- Chill rice within one hour of cooking, split into small portions.
- Eat within 24 hours, cold or reheated.
- Reheat once only, steaming hot all the way through.
- Never leave rice on keep-warm for hours or out on the counter.
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