Ate Pasta Left on the Counter for 5 Days - Here’s How It Ended

A shocking case involving a 20-year-old student from Belgium is continuing to create a stir on social media. The young man, known online by the pseudonym AJ, met his untimely death just hours after consuming a pasta dish he made about five days earlier and stored outside the refrigerator.

According to reports, AJ reheated pasta leftovers in tomato sauce in the microwave and ate them for lunch. About half an hour later, he experienced severe stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. He did not seek medical help and went to bed - only to be found lifeless in the morning.

The pathologist’s report determined that AJ died during the night due to acute liver failure, caused by a rare case of food poisoning. Samples from the pasta dish revealed the presence of bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which can survive reheating and produce toxins that may lead to severe food poisoning.

The case, originally shared on the "New England Journal of Medicine" website, has become a widely cited cautionary tale online in recent years. Doctors and nutritionists warn in light of this incident: Do not leave cooked food out for more than two hours and avoid eating leftovers kept at room temperature.