You have surely hesitated at times when you needed to reheat certain foods. However, did you know that there are four ingredients you should avoid reheating? Accredited dietitian Kim Lindsay has listed several risky foods for reheating and added that reheating them should be avoided if you don’t want to get sick.
Eggs
A staple breakfast food, eggs can transmit the Salmonella bacteria, which can cause various unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. Kim says that eggs stored at temperatures between 40 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit are in the “danger zone.” “Pathogens can grow faster at that temperature. If the food contains more pathogens and harmful bacteria, there is an increased risk of food poisoning when we consume it,” she said.
Rice
Rice is one of the foods we are often warned not to reheat, but you may not know why. “Reheating rice is a big risk. Those spores are heat-resistant, so even when you heat them, they can still cause harmful pathogens,” she said. Uncooked grains can contain a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which is not always killed during the cooking process. This can lead to food poisoning. According to the NHS, Bacillus cereus spores can grow in rice left at room temperature. They will multiply and can produce toxins that cause vomiting or diarrhea.
Spinach
Reheating leafy greens like spinach can cause Listeriosis, a serious infection that results in fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, and even seizures. The disease is caused by the Listeria bacterium, which can be present on food items. According to Kim, pre-prepared salads and store-bought greens often carry Listeria. The NHS added that dairy products made from unpasteurized milk, cheeses like Camembert and Brie, as well as sliced deli meats, could expose you to the risk of Listeriosis.
Potatoes
You could risk getting sick by reheating potatoes. Just like rice, the danger comes from storing starchy foods at room temperature: if done for more than two hours, it can lead to the growth of Clostridium botulinum. The deadly toxins produced by this bacterium can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called botulism, which can attack the brain, nerves, and spinal cord and cause paralysis. The bacterium produces botulism toxins when deprived of oxygen, so foodborne botulism is usually caused by items in sealed cans or bottles, according to the NHS.
“Mashing potatoes with perishable ingredients such as milk, butter, and cream can also increase the risk of getting sick if you reheat it,” said Kim.
