16 Nov 2024

Can you eat cooked rice after 5 days?


The answer to whether to eat cooked rice after 5 days is both Yes and No.


The first answer to the above question is Yes. You can eat cooked rice after 5 days if it was being refrigerated. This applies to cooked white rice and brown rice which can be stored up to 5 in the fridge before being consumed.
To store the cooked rice in the refrigerator, it should be first allowed to cool before it is placed in an airtight sealed container and later stored in a fridge. You can also put cooled cooked rice in a zippered plastic storage bag and then store in the refrigerator for 5 days without spoilage. The refrigerator will help to prevent mold from developing on the cooked rice and also help to maintain its texture. Avoid freezing the cooked rice at room temperature. Make sure that the cooked rice is frozen below 0°F or -18°C continuously for 5 days before consumption. You should make sure to reheat the cooked rice after the 5 days when removed from the fridge before being eaten. It is healthy to eat refrigerated cooked rice in moderate amounts to avoid health complications. Avoid overconsumption of refrigerated cooked rice.


The second answer to the above question is No. You won't eat cooked rice if it was left out overnight for 5 days. The cooked rice left out overnight for 5 days will get spoiled. Here the cooked rice is exposed to air although covered with a lid and not airtighten in a sealed container will make it to develop mold and also the texture will change quickly after 5 days. Storing cooked rice at a room temperature of 20°C to 25°C for 5 days will most likely facilitate the development of a bacteria called Bacillus Cereus that could make the cooked rice unsafe to eat. The cooked rice left out overnight for 5 days will have a sour taste so it is not advisable to consume it.
In case you consume the cooked rice kept out overnight for 5 days, you may experience some health complications such as;

  • Diarrhoea. This will result to severe dehydration and fluid loss.

  • Nausea. You may feel like vomiting after consuming cooked rice which was not kept well in the past 5 days.

  • Abdominal pain. You may also experience severe or mild abdominal pain after eating cooked rice which got contaminated after being left out overnight for 5 days.


    • Can you eat cooked rice after 5 days will depend on the storage method used to keep the cooked rice so that it remains fresh for eating. If the cooked rice has been spoiled after being kept for 5 days make sure that you dispose or throw it in a rubbish bin because if you eat spoiled cooked rice will bring side effects or health complications which may affect your life. So it is better to follow the best recommendations given on whether to consume or eat sour cooked rice or not.


    How to tell if cooked rice is bad?

  • There will be formation of mold on top of spoiled cooked rice. This is because the spores of cooked rice will develop into harmful bacteria if the cooked rice was being stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

  • The texture of spoiled cooked rice will become slimy or gooey.

  • The taste of the cooked rice which is bad will be undesirable.


    • Is it safe to reheat rice after 5 days?


    1. Yes, it will be safe if the rice was first refrigerated for 5 days before being reheated. You should make sure that the refrigerated rice is reheated once.

    2. On the negative side, you cannot reheat rice that has been stored at room temperature after 5 days because the rice will have got spoiled. If you eat reheated rice that got spoiled you can develop stomach complications such as stomach ache caused by toxins and bacteria contained in the spoiled rice that was reheated and consumed. Make sure to forget reheating rice stored at room temperature because it is not safe for human consumption instead dispose it.