Unfortunately, you can’t throw out the fuzzy ones, wash the rest and munch away. Say you have a container of strawberries where a few have turned moldy, but the others look fine. The potential for hidden bacteria is why adjacent mold can also be harmful. “You’re not just eating mold - you’re eating bacteria.” Bacteria can cause serious foodborne illnesses such as listeria, which commonly grows on lunch meat and cheese, even in the refrigerator. “The more moisture there is on the food product, not only will you have mold, but you’ll also have bacteria as well,” Dr.

They can actually cause death.” Can you just cut around the mold?Īlthough cutting off the mold seems like an easy solution, other harmful substances could still be left behind. “Those are extremely dangerous to somebody’s health. Craggs-Dino adds that some molds can also create a dangerous substance called toxins - including aflatoxins, which can be especially poisonous. They can also cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems.”ĭr. “Some molds can actually be very, very toxic to human beings. “You don’t know what mold you actually might be eating,” Dr. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know by sight whether a mold is safe or harmful. Tell-tale signs of mold include white spots, unusual colored patches, or food that’s softer than normal or smells bad. Once spores find a suitable food host, they start to grow. These airborne spores circulate in the environment, looking for a hospitable landing place.

“And then what we see growing on things like fruits, vegetables and jelly are the spores.” “A mold is a microscopic fungus,” says Dr. It can also grow on dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. This bad mold grows on a wide variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, bread, lunch meat, jams, sauces and condiments. “We’re talking about transient mold that’s in the air that might spread from the environment into food, or just because of the age of the product or poor storage,” says Dr. However, the mold found on spoiled food is quite different. Mushrooms are fungi, which is also technically a type of mold. For example, blue cheese’s taste and appearance come from a mold related to the strain used to make penicillin. Some foods are meant to be moldy, and it’s safe to eat them. What really happens if you eat moldy food We talked to dietitian Lillian Craggs-Dino, DHA, RDN, LDN, about what happens if you accidentally eat moldy food - and how to prevent your favorite veggies from going bad in the first place. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.

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