Leftovers are the backbone of our existence. Who hasn’t enjoyed leftovers in the past? It is a great way to avoid the difficulties that are associated with cooking new meals each and every day. We are also able to save a great deal of time and money in the process. However, there are certain precautions that need to be taken. Are our leftovers truly safe?

The Journal of Clinical Microbiology believes otherwise. A 2008 story about a college student who passed away not long after eating their dinner brings these concerns into much sharper focus. The case has since made its way back into the public eye and has gone viral once again. The young man in question decided that he would reheat a pasta bowl once class was over.

This seems safe enough, right? How could some leftover pasta end up being fatal? Old meat can cause us to become sick but pasta is the silent danger. No one ever believes that they are placing themselves in danger by eating leftover spaghetti. The student made one major mistake, though. The pasta had been left sitting out on the corner for several days beforehand.

There is no reason to eat pasta that has been left on a counter for that long. After eating the pasta, he went outside to participate in a sporting event. It did not take long for the effects of his decision to kick in. At first, the young man believed that he had food poisoning. He laid down and figured that he would just sleep it off.

Little did he know what would end up happening next. When he went to sleep that night, he never actually woke up. His parents had heard that he had missed class and went to his room to check on him. The condition that took his life is known as fried rice syndrome. His autopsy shows that the bowl of pasta that he consumed was responsible for his death.

Unfortunately, this syndrome is not nearly as well known as it should be. That is why we should all take the time to share this story immediately. Let’s all do our part, so that no one else is forced to suffer from this avoidable fate. By taking a moment to share this story with our friends and loved ones, we can keep stories like this one from potentially becoming more and more commonplace.