20-Year-Old Dies Due to 'Fried Rice Syndrome', TikTok Makes the News Viral After 15 Years

TikTok users are expressing astonishment as news about a 20-year-old college student who passed away in 2008 due to 'Fried Rice Syndrome' resurfaces and goes viral across the internet after 15 years. The increased attention garnered by this video has prompted individuals to voice various concerns regarding food safety and the significance of proper food storage practices.

For most people, ‘Fried Rice Syndrome’ might be just associated with the consumption of rice, but it goes way beyond this. Let’s look in depth at the events that led to the death of an innocent 20-year-old boy after consumption of leftover food.

---

‘Fried Rice Syndrome’ and Tragic Death by Leftover Pasta

Cooked pasta was left unrefrigerated (Image by Stockking on Freepik)

This tragic case of the death of a 20-year-old student based in Brussels, Belgium, has become viral news because of a TikTok video. The Journal of Clinical Microbiology actually documented this case.

The college-going student had cooked pasta on a Sunday, rather than storing it in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage, and left it out on the kitchen counter. Five days later, at nearly 8 p.m., he reheated and consumed the pasta. Unbeknownst to him, the pasta had already been contaminated by bacteria, and he would soon experience the consequences in just a few hours.

Shortly after consuming that contaminated, spoiled pasta, he began experiencing an array of uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. At about 4 a.m., that is after almost 10 hours of eating the pasta, he succumbed to a tragic death.

His body was sent to autopsy which revealed moderate centrilobular liver necrosis. This has led to the shutting down of his organs. However, the autopsy got quite delayed due to some circumstances, because of which the exact cause of death couldn’t be determined exactly.

---

Bacillus Cereus and its Connection with Fried Rice Syndrome

Bacillus cereus causes Fried Rice Syndrome (Image by Freepik on Freepik)

The TikTok video has gained over 2 million views, and the viewers have commented about their concerns regarding the lack of basic food safety principles among people.

The contaminated pasta eaten by the Brussels-based student was tested by the National Reference Laboratory for Food-Borne Outbreaks. Bacillus cereus, a type of bacteria, was found to be present in that pasta on testing.

Bacillus cereus is the bacteria associated with the Fried Rice Syndrome and is known to cause food poisoning, liver failure, and other health issues as well.

---

Symptoms of Fried Rice Syndrome and Ways to Avoid It

How to avoid Fried Rice Syndrome? (Image by Diana.grytsku on Freepik)

The name ‘Fried Rice Syndrome’ originates from the early association of this food poisoning-type disease with the dish fried rice, whose consumption could potentially cause severe health disorders if the rice was not stored properly.

Symptoms of Fried Rice Syndrome include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, and vomiting. Sometimes, it might be accompanied by mild fever as well. These symptoms are observed just in a few hours after the consumption of food contaminated with Bacillus cereus and other similar bacteria.

Fried Rice Syndrome can be easily avoided by just following certain rules of food safety. Firstly, leftover food consumption should be avoided as much as possible. But if you are consuming it, ensure that it is stored in the refrigerator at low temperatures to prevent bacterial growth.

Secondly, reheating should be done necessarily and properly before eating so that the high temperature destroys the developed bacteria if there are any.

---

The tragic case of a young boy's death from "Fried Rice Syndrome" after consuming leftover pasta is indeed a shocking incident that highlights a concerning lack of basic food safety knowledge among the general public. It underscores the importance of adhering to fundamental food safety principles to protect oneself from such illnesses. These precautions must be taken seriously by both the average consumer and those who engage in meal preparation.