Everything You Need To Know About The Enemy Of Food: Mold

We usually can’t see, smell, or taste the mold until visible signs of damage become obvious. Mold grows indoors and out, so noticing the early stages of its growth cycle is important. We’ve broken down the most important facts about molds below to help clarify exactly what they are and what sort of harm they can cause.

It’s not known precisely how many types of mold there are. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that mold comes in thousands of varieties. That’s why it’s pretty much inevitable to come up against it many times in your life. Mold can even make its way onto your dinner plate, so beware!

It may seem gross, but as this post will outline, mold can really affect your health – sometimes without you even knowing! Of course, you don’t need to live in fear of the stuff. There are ways to avoid mold, things you can do to remove it, and warning signs that you should be aware of.

In homes, mold grows predominantly in damp areas that have been left undisturbed. For example, in the kitchen, they thrive on kitchen cabinets, countertops, sponges, and near the sink. Hence, it’s possible that you may unintentionally consume the spores when you eat your food.

As soon as you buy perishable and non-perishable products, be sure to label them and monitor their storage life. If there are any foods that have spoiled, remove them immediately. The sooner you can detect when your food is going bad, the easier it will be for you to eat everything in time.

The shelf life of your perishable items is associated with the kind of storage you have. If your goods are exposed to heat, humidity, or sunlight for too long, they will begin to spoil until they become inedible.

When a food changes its appearance and smell, there’s a chance that toxins have spread deep within the food already. If you see mold on food that you’re about to eat, throw it away. After all, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

There are two ways to preserve food: physically and chemically. Physical preservation involves drying and refrigerating. In the chemical method, additives like lemon juice, salt, and sugar are used to preserve the food. However, some big companies today use a variety of artificial preservatives in foods that are harmful to the body.

There are many benefits of packing food with additives. Some preserve the food’s taste, and others make it last longer. However, additives have a lot of health risks associated with them. They can cause cancer, asthma, and health problems. Natural products, though more expensive and sometimes less effective, are better for one’s health.

Antimycotics like sorbic acid are used to prevent mold from growing in fruit juices and cheese. It is sprayed on the food’s exterior to prevent any mold growth while it is shipped across the country.

Sadly, these preservatives have been shown to cause health problems. For instance, sodium nitrate (which also provides a rich red color to ham and bacon) has been linked to some foodborne illnesses, particularly botulism, a disease of the nervous system.

For hundreds of years, preservatives have been used to extend the shelf life of food, but critics believe that today’s high standards of cleanliness and technology render them unnecessary. In contrast, the food industry argues against this demand. They say that if they stopped using artificial preservatives, consumers would stop buying food due to its unappealing appearance.

Other than the smell, food that is slimy or sticky also indicates spoilage. With fruits and vegetables, once they become wrinkled, brown in color, and unusually soft, you should throw them away. Unfortunately, no amount of scrubbing and washing will be able to improve spoiled food.

Remember, mold is a type of fungi that is found in bread and other foods. The danger inherent in mold is that it can multiply and spread. It can also cause food poisoning if someone consumes the food on which mold grows. Overall, cutting out the sections of moldy bread isn’t as effective as throwing out the entire loaf.

It’s not just a bad taste that you’re risking if you eat moldy food. It’s actually dangerous to your health. “If you can see a mold growing, there can be other microbes such as bacteria and yeast in the food as well. It’s really not worth making yourself sick,” an expert says.

You can also apply this rule to hard vegetables and cheese. All you need to do is to cut at least an inch around and below the moldy part, making sure the knife does not touch the mold. Once you slice out the mold, the rest of the food should be safe to eat. 

Foods with high moisture content, such as soft fruits, yogurt, and cheeses, have a higher risk of growing dangerous mold. Also, these foods have an even higher chance of invisible bacteria growing alongside the mold, which makes them unsafe to eat.

Don’t think twice once you see black moldy spots in your bread – just throw it away! Your health is more important than being frugal with your food expenses. If you don’t want to waste money next time, make sure that you consume your food before the expiry date.

Surprisingly, the fridge can actually offer the perfect environment for mold. Food kept in temperature-controlled environments or in dry, non-porous conditions is less likely to grow mold than food kept in moist areas, so adding paper towels or bicarb soda to absorb moisture in your fridge is a good idea.

Since mold grows in almost all environments, removing rotten food immediately is the most effective way to prevent it. However, you can’t just throw away the moldy food and be done with it. Mold spores can spread through the air easily, so it would be best if you also cleaned the fridge thoroughly.

Also, try not to buy discolored produce. Bruise marks are the result of the fruits being left out too long. These discolored areas will cause mold to develop quickly. Buy firm and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Most strains of mold are harmless. However, if you have an allergy, chances are you’ll likely experience vomiting and nausea. Fortunately, most mold tastes bad, so before you consume it, there’s a chance that you’ll be able to spit it out.

While it’s true that, in small doses, mold isn’t harmful. The mere fact that it tastes disgusting will result in some people feeling uncomfortable and upset about having consumed something that contains it.

If you still feel a bit nauseated, a doctor might recommend medicine to induce diarrhea to help you flush out all the bad bacteria in your stomach. Although it’s unlikely that this will happen, it’s still best to know what to do.

What happens if you’re not in perfect health? If you have a weak immune system, mold can cause infections that affect the eyes, skin, lungs, and other organs. People who have weakened immunity should avoid mold exposure and take extra precautions to prevent mold-caused infections.

Some people who have asthma can be triggered by mold allergies. It causes restricted breathing and other airway symptoms. Asthmatics, those with immune system problems, and, persons with HIV, who have eaten mold should contact their doctor.

Thus, if you’re going to consume food that’s a little old, it’s important to absolutely guarantee that it is not contaminated with mold. If you don’t, then your chance of suffering from serious complications will be greater.

Molds that have released mycotoxins can cause serious health problems in your gastrointestinal system. You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience nausea and vomiting. You might need antibiotics or other medications to fight the infection. Taking probiotic supplements during this period may also help.

Cheese manufacturers either mix the mold into the ingredients or add it to the outside of the cheese. Penicillium creates the blue to dark gray roots in this cheese. If you’re wondering why anyone would make moldy cheese, read on!

The method used to age these blue cheeses causes high acidity, a high degree of moisture, a good supply of oxygen, and high density. These conditions prevent dangerous molds and harmful toxins from growing. That’s why the presence of mold in this delicious cheese is safe to eat.

It has a foul smell that comes from both the mold and the growing bacteria in the cheese. Though blue cheese has an unpleasant odor, it is healthier than other forms of dairy because it contains less lactose and more nutrients.

Blue cheese also contains a compound known as spermidine. It delays aging and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease for some consumers. Though the effect remains unclear, experts suspect that blue cheese has positive effects on cardiac muscle cells.

Along with these benefits, the high calcium content in cheese is also linked to improved gut health and fat burning. Studies found that eating blue cheese manages and burns excess abdominal fat in the body. If you wish to maintain a fit body, add blue cheese to your diet.

Most notably, blue cheese is rich in calcium  – the main mineral responsible for bone density. At the same time, vitamin B12 improves the nervous system and boosts functions like cell metabolism and red blood cell formation. Can you believe that?

Researchers found that dairy products such as blue cheese prove more effective at promoting growth and bone strength than calcium supplements. Also, this dairy product can help improve brain function because it helps promote the regeneration of brain cells – specifically for the elderly and children.

Before its introduction in the 1940s, doctors were helpless when confronted with pneumonia, gonorrhea, and rheumatic fever cases. Though it was in the UK where penicillin was discovered, mass production began in America.

Alexander Fleming observed that there was no bacterial growth within the area surrounding a certain mold. So, he thought that the mold must have useful properties. Fleming asked his assistant to isolate the mold from the fluid so he could examine it more closely.

Boris Chain and Howard Florey were the ones to finally purify it in the late 1930s. An injectable form of it arrived soon after, and it is still used today to fight meningitis and infections that could otherwise be deadly. While ingesting mold on food can lead to discomfort and nausea, without mold scientists would never have developed penicillin. As with most things in life, there’s clear positive and negative factors that stem from mold.