“Fried rice syndrome” refers to food poisoning from a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which becomes a risk when cooked food is left at room temperature for too long. The 20-year-old college student died after reportedly eating spaghetti that he cooked, left out of the fridge, and then reheated and ate five days later.

A condition dubbed "fried rice syndrome" has caused some panic online in recent days, after the case of a 20-year-old who died in 2008 was resurfaced on TikTok. "Fried rice syndrome" refers to food poisoning from a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which becomes a risk when cooked food is left at room temperature for too long.

How does food poisoning happen with rice? Fried rice syndrome is food poisoning caused by a bacterium known as Bacillus cereus (B. cereus). This microscopic germ likes to live on starchy foods like rice and pasta, but it can set up shop on nearly any food. All this bacterium needs is the right combination of time and improper temperature.

“Fried rice syndrome” refers to food poisoning from a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. Social media users have been talking about fried rice syndrome after the case of a 20-year-old who died in 2008 from this form of food poisoning resurfaced on TikTok.