Today I’m spotlighting another interesting portion of the same SmarterTravel post that inspired yesterday’s tip about red flags to look for at a buffet. It concerns a reason to be especially wary of rice at a buffet, which I found surprising:
“Uncooked rice can contain a bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which can sometimes survive the cooking process. According to FoodSafety.gov, if rice is not kept at 140 degrees when it is left out for two hours or longer, any remaining bacteria can multiply and make you sick if you eat that rice.
“Symptoms will set in quickly (anywhere from 30 minutes to 15 hours after eating) and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. You’ll be sick for about 24 hours if you fall victim to Bacillus cereus.”
Rice is a common item at buffets, so if you run into it, take care to make sure the rice is hot and fresh and/or that the place operating the buffet is trustworthy.
Have your own buffet or food safety tips? Share them in the comments below!
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Just got back from a cruise where a woman on the buffet line “scraped” the rice off the buffet serving spoon onto her plate. That can add a little spice to the bacteria mix. We reported and tray was removed. Some people just don’t think.