As seen on BCTV September 14/99
MOLDY FOOD: IS IT SAFE TO EAT?
You know what I mean. That green, fuzzy stuff that grows on food. Mold can be good and bad. In certain types of cheese, especially blue cheese or Roquefort, mold is formed in the processing and aging and is edible. However, surface mold is not considered safe.
- Mold on grain products is the worst – e.g. moldy bread, moldy muffins, etc. – should be throw out.
- Also throw out the following if mold appears: small fruits like grapes, berries, melons and peaches; soft cheeses or yogurt; meat, peanuts, peanut butter or leftovers.
- It is okay to cut mold off of hard cheeses and hard fruits or vegetables like apples, potatoes, onions or cauliflower. Just be sure to cut away at least 1 inch as surface mold is more than what you see. It actually has hyphae or roots which can penetrate deeper into the food.
- If you do cut mold off cheese, cut at least 1 inch around the moldy area, rinse the cheese and re-wrap it. Clean the knife well. Other strategies are to put a small amount of vinegar in the cheese storage container to slow mold growth. If you buy more cheese than you can use before it goes bad, grate it and freeze it for later use in cooking.
- Interesting to know is that if mold grows below 7 degrees Celcius, it won’t be producing toxins and should be safe. Molds that grow at room temperature or higher are a greater concern.
The best way to prevent mold is to use food before it’s expiry date and keep foods stored or refrigerated properly. This includes minimizing their exposure to air. Heating or cooking does not destroy the toxins in the mold.
Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!
Article written by Patricia Chuey and reprinted with permission
FAQs
Leftovers should be consumed within two to three days of refrigerating. Perishable foods left unrefrigerated for more than two hours should be discarded. If a food item looks, smells or tastes spoiled—even if the expiration date says it's OK—err on the side of caution, and throw it out or compost it.
What happens if you don't eat for 3 days but drink water? ›
With water only, but no food, survival time may extend up to 2 to 3 months. Over time, a severely restricted food intake can reduce the lifespan. Being underweight, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, is associated with malnutrition and a range of health conditions that can lower life expectancy.
Which foods are safe to eat? ›
Safer food choices for general public
- All poultry, including ground chicken and ground turkey, cooked to 165°F.
- Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked to 145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
- Ground meat, including beef and pork, cooked to 160°F.
Safe food is not contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins, chemicals and/or radionuclides. However, food can become contaminated at any point of production and distribution.
How can you tell if the food is no longer safe to eat? ›
Foods that deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures are spoiled. Spoilage bacteria can cause fruits and vegetables to get mushy or slimy, or meat to develop a bad odor. Most people would not choose to eat spoiled food. However, if they did, they probably would not get sick.
What is fried rice syndrome? ›
B. cereus is the main causative agent of 'fried rice syndrome,' which occurs when boiled rice is left at room temperature for a few hours and becomes contaminated with B. cereus, leading to food poisoning if consumed. The bacterial spores can readily sporulate in the presence of oxygen.
How long can a human go without eating? ›
People can survive up to three weeks after they stop eating. However, without staying hydrated (without water) as well, the human body can only live 3 to 5 days. Researchers believe that a person can live for up to three weeks without food as long as they have water to drink.
How much weight will you lose if you don't eat for 7 days? ›
People who fasted for five days lost about 4% to 6% of their weight; those who fasted for seven to 10 days lost about 2% to 10%, and those who fasted for 15 to 20 days lost 7% to 10%. Only a few of the studies in the review tracked whether participants gained back the weight they had lost once the fast ended.
Will you look skinnier if you don't eat? ›
Eating less or skipping meals may make you lose some water weight during the initial days, but most of the weight lost while not eating or eating less comes from burning muscles, not body fat!
What are the 10 riskiest foods? ›
The top 10 riskiest foods ranked include:
- Leafy greens.
- Deli cheese and meat.
- Ground beef.
- Onions.
- Turkey.
- Chicken.
- Papayas.
- Peaches.
Top 10 Foods for Health
- Whole grains. ...
- Beans and lentils. ...
- Fish. ...
- Berries. ...
- Winter squash. ...
- Soy. ...
- Flaxseed, nuts and seeds. ...
- Organic yogurt. Men and women between 19 and 50 years of age need 1000 milligrams of calcium a day and 1200 milligrams if 50 or older.
Food safety - hazards and culprits
- Biological hazards include bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses. ...
- Chemical hazards are harmful substances such as pesticides or machine oils. ...
- Physical hazards are objects which contaminate your foods such as pieces of glass or metal, toothpicks, jewelry or hair.
Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (e.g., lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners should be avoided. Some snack foods and store-bought packaged toddler foods are high in salt.
How do I make sure my food is safe to eat? ›
In every step of food preparation, follow the four guidelines to keep food safe:
- Clean—Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate—Don't cross-contaminate.
- Cook—Cook to proper temperatures, checking with a food thermometer.
- Chill—Refrigerate promptly.
FALSE: You can't tell if a food is contaminated with harmful bacteria by looking at it, smelling it or tasting it.
How to check poison in food at home? ›
Test: Add few drops of hydrochloric acid or any other acid available in the home such as lemon juice or orange juice when added in soaked turmeric powder or yellow pulses in Luke warm water turns pink, it indicates that the food is adulterated with metanil yellow.
