Have you ever found mold on food and wondered what to do with it?Fresh food can easily be spoilt by mold if it isn’t stored properly. That said, sometimes mold can grow even on food that has been refrigerated.In some cases, you can cut off the spoilt section and consume the rest but in others, you need to discard moldy food. Though ingesting mold in little quantity won’t give you a sick day, you shouldn’t eat moldy foods regularly. Thankfully, mold tastes very bad, so you are likely to spit it even if you ingest it by mistake.It is important to note that certain types of mold have been proven to be beneficial to human health. Many medicines are made from mold extracts. Mold is used for a variety of food processing from making cheese to rice wine. Thus, you need to understand how mold grows and be able to identify foods that are safe to consume even after mold has grown on them and foods that must be discarded.Mold can grow anywhere and on anything ranging from high acid foods to salty meats. It grows fastest on soft foods with high moisture content. You cannot really guarantee a mold-free environment but you can take steps to minimize harmful mold growth. It’s all about maintaining a clean environment and storing food properly.Once you’ve read this article on mold, take a look at our articles on dairy industry facts and coffee industry facts.Food Mold Definition With ExampleIf you keep a slice of bread out for a few days, you’ll notice a grayish-white cotton wool-like fuzz in places. This is an example of mold.Mold can be defined as microscopic fungi that can live and grow on animal or plant matter. If you put it under a microscope, you’ll see a body consisting of thin roots and a slim stalk with spores at the end. The spores give surface mold its color. The whitish mold that you initially saw on the bread will turn black in a few more days.It can grow on practically any surface that is wet and moist, and it can be found almost anywhere. But they are microscopic and hence invisible to the naked eyes. It becomes visible only after it has multiplied and formed a large colony.Spores are also how mold is transferred from place to place. There are many different ways spores can be categorized. Since they are so microscopically small, they are easily airborne. This is why mold spreads quickly. Some spores have a slimy sheath and can also be transmitted by water. Others can be carried from place to place by insects. When they fall on damp plant or animal matter, they release chemicals that break down the matter and make it start rotting. The mold feeds on this rot and grows. In some cases like fruit, mold can become visible within 12-24 hours while in others it may take a few weeks to develop.There are up to 300,000 different kinds of mold! Some of the most common types of mold are Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium, and Fusarium verticilliodes.Mold growth can happen anywhere and on any type of food. Molds prefer warmer temperatures and thrive in areas that have high humidity levels. However, keeping perishable foods in the refrigerator does not guarantee that they will be mold-free. The growth of molds is also influenced by the moisture content of the food and its density. Visible mold on hard cheese is likely to be present only on the surface but mold on food like tomatoes or lemons will spread inside the fruit much faster. This is because of the high moisture content of these foods.Food Mold IdentificationMoldy food is usually quite easy to identify. Mold can appear as a whitish-gray fuzz, or as dust, or as green dots that grow into patches. What you are seeing with your naked eye are the spores. The roots are much deeper in the food and are visible only under a microscope.The way mold appears is influenced by the length of time it has been growing and the type of food it is growing on. For example, most molds will turn blackish as the moldy food gets more and more spoilt. Mold on strawberries is grayish-white while mold on lemons may look more blueish.Do not try to smell mold in an effort to identify it. If it looks like mold, it probably is mold. By trying to smell it, you may accidentally inhale the spores and trigger a respiratory infection.Food Mold Effect On Human HealthMoldy foods are typically considered a bad thing. In many cases, mold can help bacteria grow and has been held responsible for respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Some molds even produce mycotoxins. These are poisonous substances that make spoilt food harmful for consumption.Mycotoxins may be produced by certain types of mold found on grains, nuts, apples, grape juice, and certain other foods. There are many different kinds of mycotoxins. Amongst these, aflatoxins are the most notorious.These poisonous substances produced by mold have been linked to certain types of cancer. It is the most well-researched mycotoxin and can be produced by mold growing on grain and nut crops like peanuts and corn. Apart from cancer, aflatoxins are also believed to trigger and aggravate diseases such asaflatoxicosis in humans, domestic animals, and livestock.Discard foods like cooked leftover meat, salami, sausages, cooked casseroles, yogurt, cooked pasta, jams and jellies, soft fruits, sour cream, and yogurts if you see any mold growth on them. Black mold on dates can be dangerous and it is best not to take a chance with such foods. At the same time, sometimes you need to take a case-to-case decision. For example, if you see mold on a banana, know that the peel will be discarded anyway and the fruit inside is probably safe - unless it has gotten soft and started to smell.If you accidentally eat moldy food, you could fall ill and start showing symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, and diarrhea. You could also have respiratory problems. Consult a doctor if you experience such symptoms.That said, not all molds are dangerous for human consumption. Sometimes, you can remove mold from food and still eat it. In the case of cheese, mold is a good thing. When a wheel of blue cheese is made, holes are poked into it so that air can travel through. A special type of mold begins to grow on the cheese and leaves behind blue-green veins. This mold is responsible for the unique flavor of this cheese.However, after the cheese has finished aging, if you notice a grey fuzz on the surface, you will need to remove it. Some hard cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, Swiss, and Romano are safe for consumption after the white mold coating has been cut off. You must cut off not only the visible mold but at least 1inch of the cheese around the visibly spoilt section.Mold can penetrate through soft cheese more easily. Hence, if you see mold grow on brie or ricotta, or goat cheese, you should not eat them. Moldy soft cheese can be dangerous. Discard soft cheeses if you can see mold immediately. Similarly, if you notice mold growth on sliced, crumbled or grated cheese, throw the entire pack out.Research has found certain food molds beneficial in the pharmaceutical industry. Did you know penicillin is made from mold? There are a few drugs prescribed for lowering cholesterol and immunosuppressant drugs that have also been produced from a mold.How to avoid food mold?The good news is that you can control mold growth to quite an extent.Keeping the area where you store food clean is vital. Mold can multiple not just on food but also in dirty dishcloths, cleaning utensils, trash bins, and more. So, cleanliness is the first thing you should do, if you wish to minimize mold growth.If you see mold on any food item, then it is contaminated food. Separate it from everything else to inhibit the invisible bacteria growing. Mold spreads very quickly amongst fruits and vegetables. Hence, check the items placed nearby spoiled food and discard foods that look moldy or smell foul. Clean the spot where it was stored. Put the spoilt food into a paper or plastic bag and discard it in a covered trash can.You should clean your refrigerator at least once every two months. Use a tablespoon of baking soda mixed in a liter of warm water. Empty the fridge and wipe it down with this solution. Any visible black mold on rubber casings or the corners of shelves and trays must be thoroughly cleaned. Let the fridge dry before putting everything back in.Similarly, clean all kitchen towels and dishcloths. Anything that cannot be washed, should be discarded once it starts looking dirty. Most types of mold cannot survive at a temperature higher than 140 °F (60 °C). Hence, you can kill mold on plastic, glass, and other vessels quite effectively by soaking them in boiling water. If you find a musty smell, leaving them in boiling hot water for about 15 minutes is enough.When you’re serving food, cover foods with a lid or plastic wrap as far as possible to minimize exposure to spores in the air. Salads and cut fruits can be covered with a fresh wrap to keep them clean and safe.When you open a packet or a can of perishable food, do not leave it in the original packaging. Empty it out into dry, clean storage containers and label them with the date. Perishable food must always be refrigerated. Foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy can get moldy faster if they are left unrefrigerated.If you are refrigerating baked goods, make sure the dish has cooled to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. If you have leftovers, keep them refrigerated and use them within three days. Before serving leftovers, make sure you heat the food properly to kill any spores that may have got to it.Like our food, dog food is also susceptible to mold. It appears like a gray fuzz or a blueish-green powdery coating on the food. To keep this from happening, always store dog food in airtight containers.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for food mold: facts on mold spores and how to prevent mold growth then why not take a look at where do nuts come from? Know all of your healthy nuts facts well! or where do oats come from? everything to know about this healthy breakfast.
Have you ever found mold on food and wondered what to do with it?
