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If there is one tiny mould spot on an end slice of a full loaf, throwing away that full loaf is a little overkill, however, if the bread is riddled then do not even attempt to open the bag. “As the roots can penetrate quite deep it is best to just avoid the contaminated loaf,” Dawson added. Mould spores can also become airborne so opening a bag of mouldy bread, for example, can release these spores into the air – which can be inhaled and contaminate all nearby surfaces!”īut the rest of the loaf, which is unblemished, is surely fine? Not exactly, although there is room for a personal judgement call here if you are desperate for some toast.

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“Eating a visibly unblemished slide of bread, when there are clear signs of mould on that loaf, does not mean that slice is free from mould. Softer foods, such as breads and soft fruits will have much deeper roots than firmer foods such as hard cheese or dry-cured meats,” explained Dawson. Mould forms multicellular structures called hyphae which include thread-like invisible roots that penetrate food. “What a lot of people don’t realise is that it isn’t just visible surface mould that can be a problem. While many of us will simply scrape off the offending area and continue with our slumbery walk to the toaster, the roots of the fungus you have just condemned to the bin can continue underneath the surface of soft food, such as bread, making the whole slice, unfortunately, inedible. The debate on whether to eat bread once it has had the mould removed is a divisive one among consumers, but the experts are pretty unanimous in their verdict. Mould can give us some tasty cheese, like this stilton, but it’s a very different story once it grows post-manufacture But is de-moulded food safe to eat? However, mould development on cut surface cheese is not like this, and any toxins will keep forming.” In a cheese-making environment, this mould quickly stops the production of toxins and instead produces compounds that enhance flavour and textural development. The main mould responsible here is a Penicillium species. “Take the surface mould on cheese, for example. “The difficulty is that not all moulds will produce one of these toxins, the moulds that do produce these toxins do not always do it, and in some circumstances altering the environment can either enhance or reduce the chances of these toxins forming,” said Dawson. Whilst some varieties will produce the kind of toxins described above and make humans quite unwell if consumed, others have cured diseases (and given us some tasty cheeses!)…so are all moulds to be avoided? Symptoms of the ‘bewitched’ residents included muscle spasms, psychosis and hallucinations, often progressed to gangrene, convulsions and death,” Dawson told New Food. “Toxicologists have theorised that the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 were a result of the residents consuming contaminated grains with the mycotoxin, Ergot. In addition, mycotoxins might even be responsible for one of US history’s darkest chapters and the inspiration behind Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Mycotoxin contamination has been estimated to affect 25 percent of the world’s crops, and efforts to mitigate the spread of these dangerous toxins cost the food industry heavily. Symptoms can vary from gastrointestinal pains and nausea to oesophageal and liver cancers, immune deficiencies, effects on foetal development and even death.” “All can have severe, even life-threatening symptoms upon ingestion if enough is consumed either in one sitting (aflatoxicosis) or over an extended period. Others include ochratoxins, vomitoxins, fumonisins and patulin,” explained Simon Dawson, who is a Senior Lecturer in Food Science and Technology at Cardiff Metropolitan University. “Of these, aflatoxins are probably the most dangerous and have gained a lot of publicity over the years. Probably the biggest problem with mould is its ability to produce toxic compounds that are often carcinogenic and/or mutagenic – known collectively as ‘mycotoxins’.

Symptoms of mycotoxin consumption can include vomiting and diarrhoea. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi and can cause quite severe disease in humans, even death, depending on the amount consumed and the age and general health of the individual. There surely aren’t many people out there who have knowingly eaten the kind of mould that grows on food once its been neglected too long, but the true problem is the mycotoxins mould can release once it begins to grow. Despite being completely natural, mould certainly does not look appealing.