People are horrified after student dies from eating leftover pasta

The case of a young student who mysteriously died in his sleep after reheating leftover spaghetti has resurfaced – and people are reeling.

Leftovers are often seen as more appetising than a freshly cooked meal – but did you know reheating food can be dangerous?

A wild case of a 20-year-old student who died after eating five-day-old pasta back in 2008 has recently resurfaced, sending shockwaves through TikTok, Reddit and YouTube.

One video, which recounts the case of the young man named “AJ” who was fatally poisoned by the leftover spaghetti he’d consumed after leaving it on the kitchen counter for five days, has clocked up millions of views in just 24 hours.

Many commenters have expressed their utter horror at discovering you can get seriously ill, and even die, if food isn’t stored in correct conditions.

In AJ’s case, the Journal of Clinical Microbiology reported the young man from Belgium became sick after eating the cooked pasta, which he noted tasted unusual, but he chalked it up to using a new tomato sauce which he added to the reheated pasta.

A 20-year-old student died in 2008 from eating leftover pasta that had been on his kitchen bench for five days. Picture: iStock

After becoming violently ill, he went to bed to try and sleep the sickness off, only to be found dead in bed the next morning by his devastated parents.

An autopsy later revealed he had moderate centrilobular liver necrosis, leading to organ shutdown.

This had been caused a bacteria called bacillus cereus, a toxin caused by contaminated food.

The Food Standards Authority states bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacteria that produces toxins, causing cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

While AJ experienced both these symptoms, he treated them as a regular bout of food poisoning, drinking plenty of water and taking no medication.

The spoiled pasta was contaminated with a harmful bacteria called Bacillus cereus that caused his liver to shut down in his sleep. Picture: iStock

The medical journal stated AJ had warmed the spaghetti in the microwave before heading out to play sports, but ended up coming home half an hour later suffering from headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea.

He threw up for several hours and went to the bathroom twice only to fall asleep around midnight.

His lifeless body was discovered 11 hours later by his “worried” parents who were concerned because he didn’t get up for college.

The rare case was recently detailed in a video on social media, bringing it back into public conversation. Picture: iStock

Despite the fact AJ died almost 15 years ago, the story first become public knowledge in 2019 after it was documented in a popular medical journal.

It has recently resurfaced again after the bizarre case was detailed in a TikTok posted by user @jpall20 who used it to warn others.

“This has to be some form of #naturalselection because idk how this isn’t common sense,” she captioned her video, shared Tuesday.

The video very quickly blew up, with many questioning who “leaves food on the counter”, labelling the act “insane”.

“I would not even eat food that has been refrigerated for a week,” one person lamented.

“Do people not know … that they need refrigerate food?” another pressed.

As another declared: “If I leave something out just one night, I’m not touching it, no matter how much money has gone to waste.”

Many were horrified to learn you can die from extreme cases of food poisoning. Picture: iStock

On Reddit, people were equally as shocked, with many admitting they’ve eaten leftovers that weren’t stored in a fridge.

“I regularly eat pizza a day or two later after it’s left on the side. I had no idea,” one said.

“Three days is my rule for leftovers. I’m going to revisit that,” another mused.

Others pointed out the medical name for such an extreme case of food poisoning is “Fried Rice Syndrome (FRS)”, first named for its early association with the Asian dish, according to the Republic of the Philippines National Nutrition Council.

The risk of poisoning is significantly reduced if food is correctly handled and cooked. It’s safest when eaten immediately but you can avoid illness by storing it properly.

Do not leave food out at room temperature for long periods of time as this can prevent infection from bacteria.