Is it Safe to Scrape Mold Off of Food and Eat It?

Molds are microscopic fungi that live on plant or animal matter. The production of spores is characteristic of fungi in general.

The spores give mold the color you see. 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. 

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The health risks of mold exposure are many. “Mold can produce toxic substances, called mycotoxins, – says Katie George, a clinical dietitian at the University of Kansas Hospital – These toxins can cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions and illness. Aflatoxin, a specific type mycotoxin found in nuts and grains, can even be cancer-causing.” 

The risk of damaging your health is always there, so it probably pays to take a careful approach.

Molds can grow in the fridge and will even survive freezing. They can also survive in salty, sugary and acidic environments. 

As mold on our food is so hard to avoid, here are some general guidelines from the US Food Safety and Inspection Service on responding to the problem: 

Do not eat these foods if moldy:

• Luncheon meat, bacon, and hot dogs.
• Yoghurt, sour cream and soft cheese.
• Soft fruits and vegetables
• Bread and baked goods.
• Peanut butter, nuts and legumes.
• Jams and jellies 

Source: http://healthylife24.net/2016/02/24/is-it-safe-to-scrape-mold-off-of-food-and-eat-it/; http://www.abc.net.au

Do you have any experience with eating moldy food? Have you been given any advice how to remove the mold from it? Did you follow this tip?

Does Cooking Vegetables Kill Vitamins? | Healthy Food

Five shocking food facts...

If you ever needed inspiration to grow your own, here it is...

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1.         Pesticide levels in our food have been steadily increasing, and according to a report by the Pesticide Action Network, as much as 40% of the food we eat contains them.

            *To campaign, join the Pesticide Action Network at www.pan-uk.org 

2.         Food corporations spend millions lobbying governments every year to get what they want.  For more information on just how much these corporate heavyweights spend on cajoling governments, check out The Center for Responsive Politics at www.opensecrets.org
3.         Vitamin levels in our food have dropped dramatically in 50 years.  Canadian researchers discovered that today’s consumers need to eat eight supermarket oranges to get anywhere the same amount of Vitamin A our grandparents got from just one fruit.

            *For more information on why, check out Scientific American at www.scientificamerican.com

4.         Many in the world starving, while others are obese.  In figures, it’s said there’s a total of 800 million people on the planet going hungry, while one billion are overweight.  Both problems are symptomatic of a food system that is grossly out of control.

            *Read Raj Patel’s ‘Stuffed & Starved’ for insight into the failures of the global food chain.

5.         Today’s chickens have as much of weight problem as we do.  Cramped conditions where many birds don’t see the light of day, let alone move, and eating unnatural diets, means they contain 33 percent less protein and twice as much fat as in he past, according to a study from the London Met University.

    *Worried about battery farming?  See Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s Chicken Out! Campaign     www.chikenout.tv

By Susan Tomlinson

http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/LOCATIONS/National/Family-Life/Food-nutrition-and-eating-out/Five-shocking-food-facts