Story of 20-year-old man who died after making one huge mistake with meal-prepped pasta

A man tragically passed away after he made a big mistake while reheating a pasta dish.

The 20-year-old student from Brussels, Belgium, known as AJ, was sitting down to eat the pasta that had been prepped five days previously.

However, the food had not been stored in the refrigerator.

AJ died after eating reheated pasta. Credit: Westend61/Getty

After returning home from school, AJ reheated the pasta in the microwave and ate it before heading out to play sports.

Within 30 minutes, he began feeling unwell, complaining of a headache, stomach pains, and nausea. He quickly returned home and soon fell severely ill.

A report published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology reveals that AJ “began vomiting profusely for several hours” and suffered from two bouts of “watery diarrhea” later that night.

Exhausted, he eventually went to bed. Concerned for his welfare, AJ’s parents checked on him the following morning around 11:00AM, after noticing he hadn’t been up since the previous evening.

Tragically, they discovered that AJ had passed away, likely around 4:00AM, approximately 10 hours after eating the reheated pasta.

The pasta had been left out for five days. Credit: kivoart/Getty

An autopsy conducted five days later indicated that AJ’s death was likely caused by Bacillus cereus bacteria, a common but dangerous contaminant in improperly stored food.

Medical examiners found signs of liver damage, specifically moderate centrilobular necrosis, which may have contributed to his death.

The delayed autopsy, however, made determining the exact cause of death more challenging.

"The spaghetti had been kept at room temperature for several days. This allowed Bacillus cereus to grow to very high concentrations and produced the high toxin concentration (14.8 μg/g) found in the pasta and which is likely responsible for the fatal outcome," the report's authors wrote.

Following this heartbreaking revelation, which may spark concern amongst those who often indulge in reheated pasta, a doctor has spoken out.

Dr. Bernard, who runs a popular YouTube channel, said: "Many people eat pasta, or any other form of noodles, that are leftover for a day or two and they’re fine. Be careful of food left out for more than a few hours. If the food smells funny, it’s always better to be safe than sorry."

According to Dr. Bernard, while AJ's case is not considered common in terms of its severity, it hints at the importance of adhering to proper food storage practices to prevent similar incidents.

Health officials strongly advise promptly refrigerating perishable food items within a maximum of two hours after preparation.

Specific guidelines suggest that fresh poultry, fish, and ground meats should be either consumed or frozen within a period of two days after cooking, while beef, veal, lamb, or pork should be used or stored within a range of three to five days to maintain safety and quality.

Foodborne illnesses are responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the CDC. 

Featured image credit: kivoart/Getty