Are you Eating Moldy Food?
Many people develop allergies to the mold that can be found in food.
Although most people consider food mold as something that you can see clearly, such as the green or white spots on cheese or the fuzzy growth on old meat, food mold is not always visible to the naked eye.
You may think that you are keeping a good eye on your food and throwing it away as soon as there are any signs of mold, but you actually may be waiting too long to throw it away.
Different foods will have different kinds of molds, and these different kinds of molds can in turn produce different types of allergic reactions.
Certain molds that can form on meat or poultry, such as cladosporium, oidium, or aspergillus, can cause anywhere from mild allergic reactions to more serious diseases.
Aspergillus can cause serious health risks in humans, especially those who have compromised immune systems.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic substances that are produced by mold. They can grow on certain foods such as grain, nuts, and some fruits.
Mycotoxins can be extremely dangerous to humans, and can be a problem when these foods are not properly stored and cleaned Aflatoxin, a type of mycotoxin, can cause cancer in humans and other types of diseases in both humans and animals.
Common Types of Food Mold Allergies
The most common forms of food mold allergies are respiratory distress, such as asthma, and lung/bronchial irritations.
Some severe allergic reactions to food molds can produce infections – or the molds themselves can produce more serious medical conditions that may require hospitalization, such as lung or bronchial infections.
Is there Prevention?
No matter what the source, it is best for those who have food mold allergies to stay away from several different types of foods that can be more likely to invite mold growth, or that might exacerbate the symptoms of food mold allergies or infections caused by food mold.
These foods include all different types of cheeses, mushrooms (the mushroom is actually a fungus in itself, although not typically dangerous for those who are not allergic), smoked meats and fish, meat products such as hot dogs and sausage, canned fruits and vegetable, and canned juices.
Simply keeping a food in the refrigerator is not enough to stop mold from growing, as many people have found out when they have discovered a food that had been forgotten in their refrigerator for a long period of time.
However, keeping your refrigerator clean can help inhibit the growth of food mold. If and mold is found in the refrigerator remove it by wiping it off with a bleach/water solutions.
By doing this you will also prevent mold from growing on food as quickly.
Anything that will be in contact with foods for long periods, such as fruit bowls or refrigerator crispers and meat drawers should be washed regularly, and kept as dry as possible.
Further Recommended reading :
Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team
4 comments
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Dear Friends:
I had two packages of fresh raspberries that were packed in vented clear plastic containers. Those were wrapped/sealed(not a ziplock) up in a plastic bag pretty tightly. They were in my refrig unopened for about week. When I took them out of the refrig and opened the plastic bag they were in I noticed white fluffy fuzzy like mold on several of the berries. I immediately sealed the bag up and brought them outside to the dumpster.
My question was or is there any need to be alarmed about this mold and how I found it? Did it infect the inside of the refrigerator? What do you recommend if anything at this time?
Sincerely Ralph
I prefer my tea cold with ice. I keep the teapot with its remaining tea on the counter and sometimes I find mold on the surface or on the tea bags so I always check after the first day. My wife brought me my iced tea a few days ago and having drunk half a cup realized it was moldy which my wife confirmed when I asked her to check. I will see my doctor but a week later. Question: What hazards may be involved for my health? Needless to say I’ll be making less tea more often andfrom now on to avoid a repetition and put what remains in a jar in the fridge.
There is some mold on my home-smoked albacore that has been in my refer for about 2 months…I have scraped it off..is the fish edible? no odors…thanks.