Dangers Of Mold

[Kitchen Witch]

DANGERS OF MOLD
Don't confuse the mold in aged cheese with the mold on old cheese

It's OK to eat mold on blue cheese, but eating moldy strawberries and nuts could make you sick.
Although reports about the risks of eating moldy food aren't new, a recent bulletin from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service strongly cautions consumers about the dangers, warning that some molds on food can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. And a few molds, in the right conditions, produce mycotoxins, poisonous substances that can cause illness. These molds are found primarily in grain and nut crops, but are also known to be on celery, grape juice, apples and other produce.

Molds are microscopic fungi that live on plant or animal matter. Unlike bacteria that are one-celled, molds are made up of many cells and can sometimes be seen with the naked eye. Under a microscope, they look like skinny mushrooms.

In many molds, the body consists of: root threads that invade the food it lives on, a stalk rising above the food, and spores that form at the ends of the stalks. The spores give mold the color you see. When airborne, the spores spread the mold from place to place like dandelion seeds blowing across a meadow.

Molds have branches and roots that are like very thin threads. The roots may be difficult to see when the mold is growing on food and may be very deep in the food.
Foods that are moldy may also have invisible bacteria growing along with the mold. You see only part of the mold on the surface of food -- gray fur on forgotten bologna, fuzzy green dots on bread, white dust on cheddar, coin-size velvety circles on fruits, and furry growth on the surface of jellies.
When a food shows heavy mold growth, "root" threads have invaded it deeply. In dangerous molds, poisonous substances are often contained in and around these threads. In some cases, toxins may have spread throughout the food.

Beneficial molds
Molds are used to make certain kinds of cheeses, and can be on the surface or internal. Blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, and Stilton are created by the introduction of P. roqueforti or Penicillium roqueforti spores. Cheeses such as brie and camembert have white surface molds. Other cheeses have both an internal and a surface mold. The molds used to manufacture these cheeses are safe to eat.

While most molds prefer warmer temperatures, they can grow at refrigerator temperatures, too. Molds also tolerate salt and sugar better than most other food invaders. Therefore, molds can grow in refrigerated jams and jellies and on cured, salty meats -- ham, bacon, salami and bologna.
Mold spores from affected food can build up in your refrigerator, or on dishcloths and other cleaning utensils. Clean the inside of the refrigerator every few months with 1 tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in a quart of water. Rinse with clear water and dry. Scrub visible mold (usually black) on rubber casings using 1 tablespoon of bleach in a quart of water. Keep dishcloths, towels, sponges, and mops clean and fresh. A musty smell means they're spreading mold around. Discard items you can't clean or launder.

When mold is harmful
Throw away luncheon meats, bacon, hot dogs, cooked leftover meat and poultry, cooked casseroles, cooked grains and pasta, and yogurt and sour cream that show any signs of mold, because foods with a high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing along with the mold.

Discard soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, chevre, Bel Paese, etc., and all types of crumbled, shredded and sliced cheeses. These foods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Shredded, sliced or crumbled cheese can be contaminated by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese can also have bacteria growing along with the mold.

Get rid of jams and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin. Microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining condiment.

Throw away soft fruits and vegetables with high moisture content such as cucumbers, peaches, tomatoes, etc. They can be contaminated below the surface.

Toss bread and baked goods because porous foods can be contaminated below the surface. Discard peanut butter, legumes and nuts because these foods are at high risk for molds that are unsafe to eat.

Molds that can be eaten
You can use hard cheeses such as cheddar if you cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot. Keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese. After trimming off the mold, re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap. Scrub mold off the surface of hard salami and dry-cured country hams. It is normal for these shelf-stable products to have surface mold.

Firm fruits and vegetables can be eaten if you cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot. Small mold spots can be cut off fruits and vegetables with low moisture content (cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, etc.). It's difficult for mold to penetrate dense foods.