Remove Mold From Food And Eat The Rest?
Removing mold from food and consuming the whole part is a very common habit, despite the risks. Removing moldy parts does not guarantee the elimination of toxins present in the product. These could cause various ailments or intoxication.
Only solid and dry food can be consumed after removing the contaminated part. Soft and moist foods should be thrown away in the presence of mold.
You should not eat jam, nuts, berries, cheeses, breads and pastries that have mold. On the other hand, it is possible to consume products based on seasoned meat, and firm fruit and vegetables.
If in doubt, it is best to discard the product. Mycotoxins may have entered the product and cause intoxication.
Mold or fungal poisoning
This type of intoxication is usually chronic, meaning the toxin builds up in the body over time causing various adverse effects. These include hepatitis, kidney disease, ergotism and esophageal cancer.
However, acute poisoning may also occur which causes effects soon after ingestion. As a general rule, you have to be very careful about mycotoxins. Usually, they are categorized as carcinogenic.
In addition, there are many types of mycotoxins and not all of them are recognized. Some can cause death from acute intoxication in a short time; others are hallucinogenic in nature.
Removing mold from food and eating the rest: possible consequences
In addition to the presence of mold on the surface and inside the food, other situations can endanger the consumer. Among the most common is the consumption of raw meat. This is because the food has not been subjected to the necessary processing.
For example, consuming raw or undercooked white fish, without prior killing, exponentially increases the risk of contamination by anisakis.
Food defrosting processes are also often critical. It is advisable to defrost products in the refrigerator to avoid exposing them to optimal temperatures for bacterial growth.
Finally, care must be taken when handling food to prevent cross-contamination. The same utensils should not be used for handling raw and cooked foods, as microorganisms could pass from one to the other.
How to detect poisoning?
If the intoxication is acute, symptoms are usually rapid and obvious. Generally these are gastrointestinal disorders: diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are the most frequent.
In these cases it is essential to ensure proper hydration to prevent major complications. Solid food intake should be suspended until symptoms disappear. Afterwards, a soft diet should be maintained and then gradually introduced fatty foods.
If the intoxication is chronic, as in the case of mycotoxins, detecting it will be more complicated. Manifestations are often hepatic in nature. Symptoms are more complicated and require drug treatment. In some cases, a neoplasm may even develop.
The only strategy is to prevent. If we suspect that a food may be contaminated or if it has moldy parts and we are not sure if the removal is enough, it should be thrown away.
Removing mold from food: yes or no?
For some foods it is possible to remove mold from the surface and consume the rest. Usually these are dry foods, with little water. Nevertheless, for most foods, the ideal is to completely avoid consumption in the presence of mold.
Mycotoxins may have entered the product and this could cause acute or chronic accumulation poisoning. You have to be very meticulous about food hygiene to prevent more serious problems.
Acute poisoning can be detected and treated relatively quickly. In the case of chronic intoxication, however, the consequences on an organic level can be fatal. It is common to develop liver disease and even cancer.
