Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on July 30, 2026
Doom scrolling will most certainly lead you to seeing a lot of things that most people never dreamed of looking at. Some of these videos are intriguing while others will leave you scratching your head. Social media has been a huge influence on many aspects of life, but important to note food safety has been high on the list.
With most things social media is a double edged sword in many ways. While in some ways it has been a new awakening for people that had no idea about food safety. They learned so many things especially during the pandemic. Social media has also been used to quickly notify people about food borne illnesses and product recalls that many people would have had no idea about, especially those who cut the cord on cable.
Social media can also be used to spread half-truths about products including food such when only parts of articles are shared and people begin to panic.
Lately, videos of creators emphasizing the potential dangers of reheated or leftover rice have appeared, emphasizing that it could lead to severe cases of food poisoning or even death. Some creators share personal experiences of feeling unwell after consuming leftover rice, pledging to avoid it in the future. The resounding message is clear: No leftover rice in 2024.
While scary claims about reheated rice continue to circulate on the internet, the truth is more nuanced. Uncooked rice can contain Bacillus cereus spores. If rice is left out too long, the spores can begin to germinate and produce heat-stable toxins. These toxins cannot be destroyed even with reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop. However, with proper storage of leftovers, reheated rice can be safe to eat.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), leftover rice should be cooled rapidly to below 40 °F (4.4 °C) in the refrigerator. The best practice is to spread the rice out on a shallow container so that surface area is increased and the food cools more quickly. Rice that has been properly stored should be eaten within 4–6 days. Any rice left over after this time frame should be discarded.
While I am excited that there are many accounts encouraging people to “be serious” about how leftovers are stored and handled, there is a fear-mongering tone to some of these messages that do not leave the casual Instagram observer with the whole story and knowledge about the actual risk.
These are but two recent trending topics, but this sensationalism of food safety issues continues year-round, touching food products and practices. In both cases, there are kernels of truth behind the warning messages cited above that are spreading on the internet.
However, many of the nuances of these problems are lost in the 60-second videos, reels, and TikToks that people are viewing. In many of these stories, there is an easy solution to protect consumer health. I encourage social media users to rededicate the same 60 seconds to investigating on their own. Visit credible information resources such as Make Food Safe, the CDC, USDA and FDA.