mold on food

Cut or throw away?

Mold usually appears as a greenish-white coating, especially on bread, baked goods, nuts, cheese or jam. What you can see from the outside is the fungus lawn, but its network of threads also grows deep into the food and is invisible there. As mold grows, it produces toxins called mycotoxins. Such a fungal toxin is, for example, aflatoxin, which is considered to be severely damaging to the liver. A carcinogenic effect is also discussed. Other fungal toxins can damage the kidneys and suppress the body's defenses.

Mold spreads through spores, tiny balls that fly through the air invisible to us and multiply on the food. Mold thrives particularly well where it is humid and warm. The aid info service, Bonn, gives the following tips for dealing with moldy food in the household: If you have whole loaves of bread and hard cheese (mountain cheese, Gruyere, Parmesan, Chester, Manchego) in one piece, you can generously cut off the moldy areas. With sliced ​​bread, you should also discard a few slices in front of and behind the moldy area. Even with jam with a sugar content of over 60%, you can lift out the mold generously.

You have to throw away moldy food and nuts, almonds, pistachios, cereals and cereal products that are thoroughly moldy. Moldy foods with a high water content such as soft cheese, yoghurt, quark, juices, soups, sauces and moldy slices of cheese also belong in the trash. And even fruit with soft rotten spots is no longer suitable for consumption. To protect against mold, you should store food in a cool, dry and covered place.

Source: Bonn [ Heike Rapp - aid ]