Choosing a good piece of bread is always a pleasure. Today there are too many options: multigrain, whole grain, sourdough, vegan, and the list goes on. The healthiest variants of this food are loaded with good-for-you ingredients that increase your daily protein intake and help you reduce your sugar intake. The only problem is that they contain fewer preservatives, so they don’t last very long. Biting into a sandwich with all the taste in the world and discovering that the bread already has those little green spots (mold) happens to everyone.
But there is good news! You don’t have to worry. If you swallow those small clumps of fungus, there is a good chance that your body will not suffer any harm. Probably the worst part about eating mold is realizing you’ve done it. Although it can cause you quite disgusting, the problem will not go further (especially if you have a healthy immune system). You can learn more about it in this video.
However, since mold is a type of fungus, some people may be allergic to it. These conditions are not usually serious (with some exceptions). The other conflict of accidentally eating moldy bread is that it contains mycotoxins. These are chemicals that some of these fungi develop under certain conditions that are toxic to humans and other species. Usually, if you consume a little once, nothing will happen. This would change if you do it frequently and in higher doses.
So what is the best way to handle this situation? Depends. It is easier for mold to grow on soft foods such as bread, cheese and meat, and in these cases, the food should be thrown away as soon as possible. When it comes to harder foods, such as carrots, strawberries or hard cheese, it is still theoretically possible to cut only the affected part and eat the rest. But either way, why risk it?
Once your eyes can see mold, chances are the food in question is already full of bacteria and mycotoxins. If you find out after taking an unfortunate bite, don’t panic. Take a good look the next time you make yourself a delicious sandwich.
With information from Well and Good