10 of the Moldiest Foods on the Market

10 of the Moldiest Foods on the Market

Those suffering from toxic mold exposure or fungal hypersensitivities (mold allergy) are advised to adhere to a fungal-elimination diet . Moldy and yeasty foods of any kind should be avoided.

Below is a list of the top 10 moldiest foods (in no particular order):

1. Alcohol: It may come as a surprise, but alcohol is a mycotoxin (fungal-derived toxin) produced by the Saccharomyces yeast (brewer’s yeast). To make matters worse, other mycotoxins are present in alcohol as well, due to the mold-contaminated fruits and grains. An unfortunate truth is that brewers choose the fruits and grains that are already contaminated with fungi/mycotoxins because it is more affordable than the fruits and grains that are sold as table food.[1]

2. Aged/Hard Cheese: All types of cheese should be avoided on an anti-fungal diet, but aside from the blatantly obvious blue-cheese, the aged or hard cheeses are the moldiest. They are, after all, developed on fungi cultures. Their sugar and dairy content contribute to attract and proliferate further mold growth, as well.

3. Dried Fruits: Like aged cheeses, dried fruits (apricots, for example) have high sugar content and the more time spent aging, the more likely they are to develop mold.

4. Condiments: Soy sauce being the worst with ketchup a close second, condiments are at great risk for developing mold, even if the packaging is unopened. This, too, is due to the high sugar content and the possible inclusion of grains. Also, any product resulting from aspergillus fermentation (soy sauce) is guaranteed to have mold.

5. Peanuts: Even when peanuts are sterilized, fungi (sometimes 20+ different types) are capable of colonizing unharmed within.[2]

6. Sugar Cane: As delicious as it and all its products are, sugar cane is a tasty meal for mold, too. Sugar cane is often contaminated with mold and mycotoxins. It is then processed and used in vast numbers of food products all over the globe.

7. Cottonseed: This is an extremely moldy food. Human consumption of cottonseed may seem limited to cottonseed oil—something most would shrug off as easy to avoid. The trouble is that cottonseed is often used in animal feed, which contaminates the animals, which are then slaughtered and sold as table food to the same people shrugging.

8. Wheat: Another incredibly moldy food. No matter how processed the original wheat grain becomes, the fungi merely lies dormant until conditions improve. That is why mold and mycotoxins are frequently found in cereals, breads, and pastas. Some mycotoxins are water-soluble, which is why some wheat pastas are considered safe. Other, more detrimental mycotoxins, known as aflatoxins, are the most persistent. Because wheat is harvested and stored in damp, hot silos for months at a time, the development of mold and mycotoxins is nearly impossible to avoid. This goes for all grains, including barley, sorghum, corn, even rice—not just wheat—which is why grains are off-limits on the anti-fungal diet. (For more information on moldy grains, click here.)

9. Corn: Corn and wheat seem to be competing for mycotoxin champion. Both develop in damp, hot silos. Both maintain their mycotoxicity, despite processing. Both, unfortunately, are among the most-purchased items from grocery stores by mold-ignorant consumers. Both are fed to animals, as well, contaminating the very meats so craved at the dinner table.

10. Hamburger: Hamburger is used from what is called “aged meat.” This has the same mold-related repercussions as aged cheese and dried fruit.

Honorable Mentions

Mushrooms
Rye
Over-Ripe Fruits and Vegetables
Tomato Products (all tomato sauces and condiments are made from moldy tomatoes)
Wine Vinegar
Multi-B Vitamins (the rice hulls are moldy)
Products of Aspergillus Fermentation

Related Topics

Foods to Avoid When You Have Mold or Yeast in Your Body
Foods to Eat When You Have Mold or Yeast in Your Body
How to Cure a Yeast Infection
Anti-Fungal Diet to Help Cure a Yeast Infection

Resources

[1] “Mycotoxins: Economic and Health Risks.” Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (November 1989). Force Report Number 116. CAST. Ames, IA.
[2] Constantini, A. “Etiology and Prevention of Atherosclerosis.” Fungalbionics (1998/99).

 

About the Author: TheWife is the mother and personal chef of two boys, the domestic technician of a three-bedroom desert home, and occasionally, a freelance writer and editor. Feel free to follow her on Twitter @TheWifesLife