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29th Jan 2019

Student, 20, dies after eating five-day-old leftover pasta

He suffered from liver failure.

Anna O'Rourke

A student died after eating leftover pasta at home.

The man, a 20-year-old university student from Brussels, had made the pasta five days beforehand and left it out at room temperature

He became seriously ill shortly after eating it, experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea.

He drank water but did not take any medication and went to bed.

Student, 20, dies after eating five-day-old leftover pasta

The young man was found dead the following morning by his parents, who became concerned when he didn’t get up for college.

He had passed away in his sleep.

A post mortem found that he died from bacteria called bacillus cereus.

When not properly refrigerated, the bacteria produces spores that cause severe food poisoning symptoms.

Deaths associated with this bacteria are rare. In this case, the bacteria produced toxins that caused the man’s liver to go into failure.

The death, which occurred in 2008, was previously featured in the US Journal of Clinical Microbiology, reports The Sun.

Student, 20, dies after eating five-day-old leftover pasta

It was highlighted by a licensed practitioner known as Dr Bernard who shares unusual medical cases on his Youtube channel.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recommends that after cooking, food should be cooled as soon as possible and refrigerated.

Cooked food should be covered and kept in the fridge for a maximum of two to three days, it advises.

When reheating leftovers, you should ensure that food is piping hot and steaming before eating. The FSAI recommends that food should only be reheated once.