Why are we more scared of raw egg than reheated rice? Rice can contain Bacillus cereus, which is resistant to heat! But rice is also a common cause. It can contain Bacillus cereus, which is resistant to heat. "It's one that a lot of people don't know about, but you do have to be very careful with rice," says Martin. "It's not that rice itself is dangerous but after it's been cooked there are spores of bacteria that can germinate." The advice is to cool it quickly if it is likely to be eaten later. "Take the worst of the heat out but then put it in the fridge, it doesn't need to be room temperature anymore - fridges have improved," adds Martin. He also advises spreading it in shallow dishes to speed up cooling, or more simply, just cook the amount you want to eat. It's a very bad idea to eat rice that's been sitting in a buffet at room temperature after being cooked. Any reheating at home should be thorough but is only safe if the advice above has been followed.