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Recently, the temperature has been rising, and many people have found that the food at home has been left for a long time and has begun to mold and deteriorate.
Especially in the south, it often encounters rainy and wet weather, and it also has to face more food mold troubles.
Good food, why does it get moldy? After removing the moldy part, can I still eat it? What should I do if I accidentally eat moldy food?
For example, if an apple is only a small and a half moldy, should the moldy part be cut off and then eaten, or will the whole apple be thrown away?
Although these problems do not seem to be large, it is inevitable that they will be upset. Today we will talk about the problem of food mold.
Image credit: 123RF
Why does food get moldy?
In our environment, there are countless microorganisms living, one of which is mold.
Mold, like mushrooms, belong to the large family of "fungi". Unlike bacteria, they are visible to the naked eye, have a very strong vitality, and are able to lurk in unfavorable environments for a long time.
And once the environment gets better, providing them with favorable living conditions, including water (humidity), temperature and nutrients, mold will multiply wildly (their spores can be airborne), grow, and these conditions are exactly what most foods can provide.
At this time, mold will grow on the surface or inside the food (sometimes it may be hidden very deeply), changing the appearance, taste and texture of the food, causing the food to become moldy, rotten, and appear green, white, black or gray mold spots.
Image credit: 123RF
For example, common food surface mold in life are:
The gray "hairs" on the big red intestines, the vague green spots on the bread, the "white ash" on the cheese, the circles the size of a coin on the fruit like velvet, the furry things on the surface of the jelly...
Which foods are susceptible to mold?
Mold can grow on almost any food. Mold growth may also occur during the production of food, including growth, harvesting, storage and processing.
Some types of foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content, are more likely to grow mold than other foods, while foods with preservatives are less likely to grow mold.
Common, moldy foods are mainly the following:
Fruits: such as strawberries, oranges, grapes, apples and raspberries (also called raspberries);
Vegetables: such as tomatoes, bell peppers and carrots;
Bread and bakery: especially bread without preservatives.
Mold can also grow on other foods, including meat, nuts, milk, and processed foods.
The scary thing is that when you see that the surface of the food is already badly moldy, the hyphae of the mold have actually invaded the inside of the food deeply.
What are the dangers of eating moldy food?
Molds are diverse, but the relationship between different molds and humans is also different.
Some molds are safe and beneficial, will produce a variety of enzymes to decompose food, for humans to bring different flavors of fermented food, such as soybean sauce, tofu milk, stinky tofu, cheese, etc., can be eaten with confidence.
For people with mold allergies, exposure to, smelling, or eating moldy foods can lead to allergies and respiratory illnesses (such as fungal pneumonia), or irritation to the eyes.
There are also many molds that, under the right conditions, produce mycotoxins. These mycotoxins tend to hide inside and around the hyphae, and in some cases, the toxins may have spread throughout the food.
When a person or animal eats moldy food containing mycotoxins, it can have health effects, serious or even life-threatening.
Hundreds of mycotoxins have been identified, the most common of which include aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, penicillin (also known as corrugrugon), pemisin, zearalenone, fusarium sylvactone/ deoxyfusarium fusarium enol.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 25% of the world's food crops are affected by mycotoxins, the most notorious of which is aflatoxin.
1. Aflatoxin
Produced by certain molds that grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay and grain, and are often found in these moldy foods:
Cereals: maize, sorghum, wheat and rice;
Oil: soybeans, peanuts, sunflowers and cottonseeds (they may also be present in the oil they are pressed into);
Spices: chili pepper, black pepper, coriander, turmeric and ginger;
Nuts: Pistachios, almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts.
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If aflatoxin is consumed in large doses, it can lead to acute poisoning, damage to the liver and life-threatening.
When farmers and food processors handle contaminated crops and feed, they may also be poisoned by inhaling toxin-containing dust.
Aflatoxin is also classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), and long-term consumption in low doses can increase the risk of cancer, especially liver cancer.
According to statistics, behind 4.6% to 28.2% of hepatocellular carcinoma cases in the world, there are aflatoxins "making bad".
If a person has a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and is also exposed to aflatoxin, the risk of liver cancer is 30 times higher than that of people who are only exposed to aflatoxin. The problem has a greater impact on the rural population.
In addition, aflatoxin has been found to be teratogenic, immunotoxic, and can lead to growth retardation in children.
It is now widely accepted that aflatoxin is an unavoidable contaminant in food and feed, even in accordance with good manufacturing practices. To this end, countries have introduced corresponding norms to control and monitor its content.
2. Ochrextoxin A
Produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, it is a common food-contaminating mycotoxin that can form during crop storage. Ochratoxin A can not only cause kidney damage, but may also have an impact on fetal development and the immune system.
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3. Spread penicillin
It is often found in rotten apples and apple products, and can also be found in various moldy fruits, grains and other foods, which may cause intestinal dysfunction, nausea, vomiting and kidney edema.
Special emphasis is placed on the fact that various molds in the natural environment are mixed and inhabited. That is to say, in a moldy food, there may be a variety of mold and mycotoxins.
If contaminated feed is taken to feed animals, mycotoxins may enter animal foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, and eventually enter the human body through the transmission of the food chain.
In addition, eating moldy food does not necessarily cause health problems, depending on the amount of moldy food eaten.
How to deal with moldy food?
For moldy food, do not smell it first to avoid respiratory diseases after inhalation.
If it has been completely moldy, it can no longer be eaten, and it should be thrown away in time; if it is only partially moldy and does not want to waste, it needs to be treated differently according to the texture of the food.
1. Food that is discarded as long as it is moldy and "merciless"
In general, even if some of these 4 types of food are moldy, they should all be thrown away and not eaten:
Soft texture: such as strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches;
High water content: lunch meat, all cooked leftovers, yogurt and sour cream, etc.;
Porous and loose: bread and baked goods, etc.;
Free of preservatives: Peanut butter, legumes and tree nuts.
Because the mold of this type of food is easy to grow inside, but it is difficult to find, it is not enough to cut off the broken part.
2. You can also "rescue" food
If the texture of hard food, such as apples, cabbage, peppers, bell peppers, carrots, etc., has small mold spots, you can cut off the mold and the surrounding parts of at least 2.5cm before eating, because mold is difficult to penetrate dense food; in addition, the knife should be prevented from touching the moldy parts.
Image credit: 123RF
Hard red sausages, sausages, dry pickled ham, the surface of the mold can be scrubbed off before cooking.
For moldy jams and jelly, because the mold will produce fungal toxins, it is also necessary to throw them all away, and it is not recommended to dig up the bad parts and eat the rest.
For regular fermented foods such as soybean paste, curd milk, and stinky tofu, if they have passed the shelf life, they can no longer be eaten.
When throwing, put moldy food in small paper bags or wrap them in plastic bags, and put them in a lidded trash can to avoid contact with children and animals in the family.
Double-check the other food around you for mold, and clean up the stored refrigerators and storage containers.
If you accidentally eat moldy food, spit it out and rinse your mouth in time, and if symptoms appear, you should seek medical treatment in time. Of course, the safest and most reliable option is to throw away moldy foods and not eat them.
How to prevent food from getting moldy
Most molds prefer a warm, humid environment, but they can also grow at the low temperature of the refrigerator, so don't think that putting food in the refrigerator will not get moldy!
Moreover, molds are more tolerant of salt, sugar, and acid than most other food-contaminating microorganisms, so they can also "grow tenaciously" in jams, jellies, pickles, and cured meats (ham, bacon, red sausages) in the refrigerator.
Image credit: 123RF
Therefore, keeping the food storage area clean and dry is crucial to preventing food from becoming moldy.
Here are some tips to prevent food mold:
Clean the refrigerator regularly and wipe it every few months: scrub the inside of the refrigerator with 1 tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in 1 liter of water, rinse and dry it with water; dissolve in 1 liter of water with 3 teaspoons of bleach and scrub the visible mold (usually black) on the rubber shell of the refrigerator.
Keep your home cleaning tools (including rags, towels, sponges, mops, and other utensils) clean and hygienic: When these utensils emit a musty odor, they can spread mold everywhere, and if there are mold spots that are not clean, throw them away in time.
Avoid hoarding large amounts of fresh food, buy a small amount at a time, and try to eat it within a few days.
Store perishable foods that need to be refrigerated or frozen in the refrigerator, do not leave them outside for more than 2 hours, and the storage container should be kept dry and clean, well sealed;
Try to avoid leftovers, and at the same time, leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 to 4 days, and the time between each time they are taken out and eaten and placed at room temperature should not exceed 2 hours.
Indoor humidity should be controlled below 40% as much as possible: a hygrometer can be placed at home to reduce humidity with moisture absorbent or air conditioning dehumidification function.
(Regarding the storage methods of different foods and how to put them in the refrigerator, review and poke 14 kinds of foods that are most suitable for long-term storage, without putting the refrigerator!) But these 5 kinds of hoarding more may be regretted)
When shopping, focus on checking the food in sealed packaging such as glass jars and plastic wrap, as well as the stems of fresh crops, and don't buy moldy and bruised crops. Fresh meat is generally not moldy, but cured and processed meat should be checked.
All in all, food mold is a very common phenomenon, if moldy, it is best to throw it away, there is no need to risk health for them.
After all, it is a small matter that the food is broken, and if you eat it sickly, it is not worth it.
Resources
[1] Molds on Food:Are They Dangerous? | Food Safety and Inspection Service (usda.gov). Retrieved Apr 23, 2022 from https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/molds-food-are-they-dangerous
[2] Aflatoxins. Retrieved Apr 23, 2022 from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aflatoxins
[3] Is Moldy Food Dangerous? Not Always.Retrieved Feb 3, 2021 from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-moldy-food-dangerous
[4] What happens When you Eat Mold? . Retrieved Feb 3, 2021 fromhttps://www.dailyhealthcures.com/general-health/what-happens-when-you-eat-mold/#:~:text=While%20there%20is%20no%20need%20to%20panic%2C%20eating,examples%20of%20what%20happens%20if%20you%20eat%20mold
[5] Mycotoxins. Retrieved Feb 3 ,2021,from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins
[6] Dhakal, A., & Sbar, E. (2020). Aflatoxin toxicity. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
[7] Liu, Y., & Wu, F. (2010). Global burden ofaflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma: a risk assessment. Environmentalhealth perspectives, 118(6), 818-824.doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901388
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