Did you know you can actually eat some food with mould on – despite it looking pretty disgusting.
Some foods are indeed still safe to eat, even if mould is visible, says Dr Richard Fuchs, of the University of Greenwich. He has outlined which food should be thrown away and which might still be OK, revealing that while nuts, grains and apples are among the most dangerous to consume if they become mouldy, other foods are still OK to eat.
Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus – two types of mould – can be found in mouldy nuts, rice, spices, vegetable oils and cocoa beans. According to Dr Fuchs these species of mould can produce aflatoxin, a type of mycotoxin, reports the Mirror US.
“Mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to both humans and livestock,” the World Health Organization says. “The adverse health effects of mycotoxins range from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer.”
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Large doses of aflatoxins can be life-threatening, usually through damage to the liver. There is also evidence that they can cause liver cancer in humans, according to WHO. Patulin is another mycotoxin that can grow on rotting apples and may cause ‘nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and vomiting’.
Not all mould is this dangerous, however, but if eaten it can still make you feel unwell. Dr Fuchs warned that the mould you can see on the surface of food isn’t the full extent of the problem either.
He said: “Moulds produce microscopic thread-like structures called hyphae which can spread into the food. Therefore, what is visible on the surface may not be the full extent of the contamination by the mould.”
This is often a problem in softer foods, where it is easier for mould to penetrate its surface. Bread, berries, jam and soft cheese are foods which encourage the mould to spread deeper.
Hard cheese and firmer foods can be eaten if mould is present, Dr Fuchs confirmed. He said: “Hard, dense foods like hard cheeses or firm fruits and vegetables are more resistant to penetration by the mould so the mould could be cut out and the food consumed.”
Dr Fuchs recommends people cut off about an inch of food around and below the mouldy area. Foods such as blue cheese, where mould is used to make the product, are safe to eat how it is, however.
The Food Standards Agency says any item that is obviously rotten or containing mould should not be eaten. “This is due to potential risks from the mould,” a statement on its website reads. “This advice is especially important for people in vulnerable groups. This includes children, people who are pregnant, people aged 65, and those who have a weakened immune system. While it is possible that removing the mould and a significant amount of the surrounding product could remove any unseen toxins that are present, there is no guarantee that doing so would remove them all.”
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