A Texas woman’s night out takes a dangerous turn when a popular dish leaves her fighting for her life, raising concerns about food safety practices in restaurants.
Germaine Mobley, a 62-year-old woman discovered that dining out can sometimes lead to a terrifying experience when she fell extremely ill after eating fried rice at a restaurant near Dallas. She began feeling “very, very sick” and had trouble breathing during her drive home, unaware that she was suffering from “fried rice syndrome.” Had she known, she would have headed straight to the emergency room.
Despite trying to brush off her symptoms, Mobley’s condition worsened, leading her to spend several days in the intensive care unit. Determined to raise awareness about “fried rice syndrome,” she wants others to understand the potential dangers of the seemingly innocuous dish.
The culprit, a bacteria called Bacillus cereus, can form when rice is left at room temperature for too long, which is a common practice among chefs to prevent clumping.
Culinary expert Celeste Rogers shared with Inside Edition that while chefs often leave rice out to cool, it should not exceed six hours. Mobley has since engaged attorney Kathryn Knotts to take on the restaurant she believes nearly cost her life. Though “fried rice syndrome” might sound like a joke, it is a serious matter, as Knotts told Dallas News.
To cool the rice quickly and safely, Rogers recommends spreading it on a flat surface for better heat dissipation. For Mobley, who experienced the agony of severe food poisoning and spent over a week in the hospital, fried rice is now off the menu for good, regardless of the restaurant.
However, the Asian King Buffet, where Mobley claims she fell ill, denies that their food caused her sickness.
Source: AWM
