Can you reheat leftovers?
Leftovers should generally only be reheated once, and must be steaming hot throughout before eating.
Reheat thoroughly, once
Food Standards Agency guidance says reheated leftovers should be steaming hot throughout and only reheated once.
Rice is a special case
Cooked rice should be refrigerated promptly, used within 24 hours and reheated only once. Reheating does not rescue food that was stored unsafely.
Check your situation
Use the reheating checker for the food, prior storage, reheating count and heat state it currently covers.
Read Food Standards Agency guidanceUse the checker for your situation
This page gives general UK guidance. Check your food for the situations Safe to Eat? currently covers.
Sources and scope
Last checked: 5 September 2026.
This resource is based on UK food-safety guidance and does not replace the checker’s personalised questions. Read how the checker works and see the official sources.