Leaving cooked rice at room temperature for hours
Cooked rice is one of the most dangerous leftovers in any kitchen, and the risk has nothing to do with how it smells. Bacillus cereus, a spore-forming bacterium, survives the cooking process. Once the rice cools and sits between 20°C and 55°C, the bacterial danger zone, those spores germinate and multiply rapidly. A 2019 review published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology confirmed that B. cereus is among the leading causes of food poisoning linked to starchy staples across Asia, including rice and lentil-based dishes.
