After cooking a dish of autumn pasta, rice or potatoes, we (often) let them cool in the open air, sometimes even in the pan, before putting them in the refrigerator to eat them. later. This habit, seemingly harmless, will allow potentially dangerous bacteria to develop… quickly.
Open air, a risk for food?
More concretely, when these foods are cooked and then left at room temperature above 4°C for more than two hours, they become an ideal culture medium for bacteria. In particular from a bacteria called Bacillus cereusresponsible for food poisoning known as “Cantonese rice syndrome” or “fried rice syndrome” This bacteria, with a somewhat barbaric name, is naturally present in the environment, particularly in soils, and is found in fact in many foods, especially those rich in starch such as rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes. While it can be completely harmless except for some nausea, it sometimes causes vomiting, headaches or fever, and can end up being fatal.
Bacillus cereus spores are particularly heat resistant, which means that even after cooking once or twice, the bacteria survives. So all it takes is for food to be exposed to the open air a little too long for these terrible bacteria to wake up and release these toxins.
Good reflexes to adopt
To avoid getting sick, you will have to rethink your eating habits. After cooking, transfer cooked food to containers and refrigerate as soon as it has cooled slightly, within an hour of cooking. To help them cool down more quickly, you can divide the leftovers into small portions and put them directly in the refrigerator.
When in doubt, use the two-hour/four-hour rule. If a food has been at room temperature for two hours or less, it can be safely returned to the refrigerator. Between two and four hours, it is best to consume it immediately. After four hours, food can begin to deteriorate and become dangerous to your health.
