Allison Turner
Sometimes the mold spores are so small that you can’t see them at first glance, but what happens when you eat mold? We tell you when there is a health risk.
Many foodstuffs quickly develop mold and the spores are not always immediately visible. It can sometimes happen that a piece of moldy bread ends up in your stomach from time to time. But what happens when you eat mold? Is this dangerous for our health? We clarify.
Mold is not just mold
The furry coating is not dangerous for every food. So we can enjoy blue cheese without hesitation. With other types of mold, however, the whole thing can look very different: when the food is decomposed, they form toxic metabolic products, so-called mycotoxins.
What happens when you eat mold?
With small amounts of mold it is normally not dangerous if you accidentally eat the spores. But some people are already sensitive to small amounts. In these cases, symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting can occur.
How toxic the mycotoxins are only really becomes clear when looking at the consequences of regular consumption of mold. Then liver and kidney damage can occur and the immune system can also be attacked. The toxins are even said to cause cancer.
Home remedies for accidental mold consumption
Even if nothing usually happens when you eat mold, you can take a preventive measure: charcoal tablets bind the toxins and transport them out of the body.
What foods should you throw away if you have mold?
As a general rule, mold can spread quickly in foods that contain a lot of water, which is why the following foods should be thrown away immediately if they become moldy:
- fruit;
- vegetables;
- Juice;
- Dairy products (apart from said blue cheese and parmesan);
- jam;
- bread;
- nuts;
- dried fruits;
- Fresh cold cuts and Teewurst.
Which foods only require the affected area to be removed?
Since air-dried salami has a very low water content and the mold does not spread too much, you can generously cut away the affected area and eat the rest. It’s the same with parmesan. The hard cheese does not have to be thrown away if only a small area is affected. However, if the mold infestation is larger, it also belongs in the garbage. If it is grated and moldy, the cheese is also no longer edible.
How can you prevent mold on food?
In order to ensure that the food remains as mold-free as possible, there is actually only one simple tip: Pay attention to hygiene. Both the fridge (especially the crisper drawers) and the bread box need to be cleaned regularly.
Check your groceries for mold when you go shopping. Especially with fruit it is often not so easy to see. Then it can quickly happen that you buy already moldy food.
