Let's work together to keep the conversation civil. Moulds are microscopic fungi that live on plant or animal matter. Mould grows from tiny spores that float around in the air. When some of these spores fall onto a piece of damp food, they grow into mould.
There are thousands of different kinds of moulds. The mould that grows on lemons looks like a blue-green powder, the one that grows on strawberries is a greyish-white kind-of-fur and a common mould that grows on bread looks like white cottony fuzz at first, which could turn black after a few days. Sometimes, without even noticing, we consume a mouldy bread, fruit, or cheese slice.
After reading this, an image of you eating the aforementioned mouldy items is sure to pop in your mind. Is the image worrying you? Are you wondering what happens if you eat mould? Is it deadly? The short answer to the above-mentioned questions is no, you are probably not going to die from eating mould. You will digest it like any other food. As long as you have got a relatively healthy immune system, the most you will experience is some nausea or vomiting due to the taste or idea of what you have just eaten.
But if you are allergic to mould, it can bring on uncomfortable symptoms including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Also, although common bread mould isn't especially harmful, there are some dangerous moulds which can be harmful to your health and cause food poisoning.
Although it might be tempting to simply tear off the mouldy bits in the interest of not wasting food or money, there is no guarantee you are actually removing the whole fungus by doing so. The thread-like roots of mould can reach deep into the food, so simply removing the mouldy parts won't help. Thus, it is better to just toss the whole thing out. Simple steps to avoid mould formation include securely covering foods in the fridge with plastic wrap or containers, eating leftovers within four days, and not leaving perishable food out for more than two hours.
Apart from these, you need to keep a check on how much food you eat during the week. If you live alone, there is no point in buying a whole lot of food in one go and throwing it away later because of mould.
A weekly guide to the biggest developments in health, medicine and wellbeing delivered to your inbox. Thank you for subscribing! Insert internal screams here. It feels like a betrayal—and suddenly you're spitting out that chunk of your precious apple or holding your moldy slice of bread over the garbage can, contemplating calling your mom for her to reassure you that nothing too terrible happens if you eat mold.
Actually, sad and grossed out as you may be about eating or almost eating that blue fuzz, you'll probably be fine, he says. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to dealing with and, gulp, ingesting moldy food—especially considering that, on rare occasions, it can actually make you sick.
Before you brazenly continue noshing on your fruit or popping that toast in the toaster, here's the low-down on everything that can happen if you eat mold. Don't run to the bathroom to scrub your tongue with a bar of soap just yet. In fact, as long as your immune system is in good shape , you can digest it like any other food. Though molds a. After all, molds are actually meant to be on certain foods—including dry-cured country hams and cheeses such as blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Brie, and Camembert.
In many of these cases, mold is totally safe to eat, the USDA says. But what about the fuzzy green or white stuff that pops up unannounced on fruits, vegetables, bread, and dairy products? You might feel sick after accidentally eating these molds, but that's most likely because the mold tastes bad, not because of any particular toxin in it, says Dr. Even then, he recommends waiting to see if your symptoms escalate beyond nausea before rushing to call the doctor.
And in the rare instance that you do , you'll likely have had to consume large amounts of the stuff. And, c'mon, are you really going to keep licking the fuzz off your food? I didn't think so. If the unlikely occurs, though, and your symptoms include persistent nausea and vomiting , you should definitely call the doctor, Dr.
Here are some tips to prevent mold growth in food 1 :. Mold might produce harmful mycotoxins in all types of foods, but mycotoxin levels are tightly regulated. Also, mycotoxins only form when mold has reached maturity. That said, you should avoid moldy foods as much as possible, especially if you have a respiratory allergy to mold. Some people get sick from exposure to mold, but others have no effects of any kind.
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This article explores the environmental and…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Not Always. Food spoilage is often caused by mold. Moldy food has an undesirable taste and texture and may have green or white fuzzy spots. Just the thought of eating moldy food grosses most people out. What Is Mold? Share on Pinterest. Mold can grow on almost all foods. That said, some types of food are more prone to mold growth than others.
Common Foods That Can Grow Mold Below are a few common foods that mold loves to grow on: Fruits: Including strawberries, oranges, grapes, apples and raspberries Vegetables: Including tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower and carrots Bread: Especially when it contains no preservatives Cheese: Both soft and hard varieties Mold can also grow on other foods, including meat, nuts, milk and processed food.
Invisible bacteria can grow along with it. Summary: Mold can grow on most foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, bread and cheese.
Most molds need moisture, but some can thrive in foods that are dry and sugary. In general, if you find mold in soft food, you should discard it. Foods You Can Salvage These food items can be used if the mold is cut off 1 : Firm fruits and vegetables: Such as apples, bell peppers and carrots Hard cheese : Both where mold is not part of the processing, like Parmesan, and where mold is part of the processing, like Gorgonzola Hard salami and dry-cured country hams When removing mold from food, cut at least 1 inch 2.
Foods You Should Discard If you find mold on these items, discard them 1 : Soft fruits and vegetables: Such as strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. Soft cheese: Like cottage and cream cheese, as well as shredded, crumbled and sliced cheese. This also includes cheese that is made with mold but has been invaded by another mold that was not part of the manufacturing process. Bread and baked goods: Mold can easily grow below the surface.
Cooked food: Includes casseroles, meat, pasta and grains. Jam and jellies: If these products are moldy, they may contain mycotoxins. Peanut butter, legumes and nuts: Products processed without preservatives are at a higher risk of mold growth.
Deli meats, bacon, hot dogs Yogurt and sour cream Summary: Soft food with a high moisture content is generally more likely to have mold. You can cut mold off of hard or firm food. Mold is not always undesirable in food. Summary: Food companies use particular molds to make cheese, soy sauce, vinegar and fermented beverages.
Mold Can Produce Mycotoxins.
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