Is It Safe to Eat Moldy Food?

Foods inevitably mold and the question arises, “Is it safe to eat moldy food?”   Tossing large amounts of food can seem to be uneconomical and people hesitate to do it.  However in some cases eating moldy food can cause serious consequences.  There are certain rules that never change regarding the safety of eating moldy food.

If the food is hard, such as a brick of cheese or a carrot, the moldy section can be cut off (plus about one inch around it) and the food safely eaten.  Small mold spots can be trimmed off of firm vegetables.  To avoid spreading the mold, care must be exercised to keep the knife out of the moldy areas. Soft foods should be thrown away when mold is spotted.  The “roots” of mold can permeate soft foods, contaminating areas that appear to be mold free.  Molds also release toxins (mycotoxins) that can be present in the food.  Foods with high moisture content, left-over meats and casseroles, yogurt, jams and jellies, soft fruits and vegetables, bread and baked goods, peanut butter, legumes, and nuts must all be discarded if moldy.  Soft cheeses must be discarded, but cheeses such as Brie and Camembert should be discarded only if they contain mold that is not a part of the manufacturing process. If you have fruit that is about to mold or spoil, toss it in the freezer and blend it later to make smoothies. 

Moldy food should be placed in a paper or plastic bag before it is discarded.  Do not attempt to smell moldy food to see if it has spoiled.  This can introduce mold spores into your respiratory tract.  You may also have to discard food that possibly touched the moldy area as molds can spread quickly, particularly in produce.  Proper food storage will help prevent food spoilage.