How much mold on food is still tolerable?

Warm and humid weather: What to do with mold on food?
Just bought and already it molds in the fruit bowl: Especially in the warm, humid summer months forms on fruits and other foods often mold quickly. But what is to be done then? Does everything have to be thrown away or parts of it can still be saved??

In summer, some foods mold very fast
Especially now in the hot season one discovers on different foods again and again mold. On the bread is a greenish-white fluff to see in the yogurt just opened is a small mold island and even on freshly purchased strawberries form white hairs. But what is to be done then? Do infested foods have to be thrown away or can they still be saved? According to experts, this question can not be answered on a flat-rate basis? It depends on the food.

Especially on the warm, humid days in summer spoil some foods very quickly. But what to do if mold has formed on fruit, bread or cheese? Not all foods need to be thrown away for that. (Image: katyspichal / fotolia.com)

Dangerous mycotoxins
Mold in or on food does not necessarily have to endanger health. For example, noble cultures of cheese are harmless.

But some mold fungi can form toxic metabolic products called mycotoxins. These can "be toxic even in very small amounts," writes the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in a leaflet.

The network of mushrooms can often reach far into the interior of the affected food. The ugly-looking furry layer on the surface is not the only dangerous one.

Experts advise again and again to regularly check food supplies at home, and to dispose of moldy or expired goods, if necessary.

Which foods have to go right away
The BfR writes in his leaflet: "Dispose of moldy foods immediately and leave no longer open, because mold is" contagious. "

As the experts explain, the more liquid foods (eg compote, juice, soft peaches, etc.) are, the faster the spread of the mold and its toxins. "Such infested food must be thrown away."

Also infested milk and dairy products as well as rotted fruit and moldy jams or jellies, meat and sausage may therefore no longer be consumed.

In the case of air-dried sausage and ham, it is enough to cut out moldy areas generously. Unfounded are mold-aged cheeses such as Roquefort or Camembert.

With mold on the bread should be discarded according to BfR the whole loaf. The initiative "Too good for the barrel!" Of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) explains how mold has little chance for bread:

Accordingly, bread should be better bought as a loaf, because cut bread mold provides more attack surface. Crumbs lying in the bread crate promote mold growth and should therefore be removed every few days. Dust the box with vinegar water every week.

And: "In warm and humid weather you should better deposit bread in the fridge."

Avoid mold on food
The BfR also lists in its leaflet some rules that can help to avoid mold in the food: "buy food as fresh as possible and soon consume. Avoid buying hamsters. "And:" Store food properly (clean, dry) and cool. "

Some professionals are less strict anyway when it comes to when the food needs to be thrown away.

For example, the toxicologist Gisela Degen from the Leibniz Institute for Labor Research at the University of Dortmund explains in a report by the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ) that there are big differences between the mycotoxins.

Aflatoxins, which are found mainly in nuts, almonds and pistachios, as well as dried fruits and spices, are therefore the most dangerous. Even deaths have already occurred.

Roasting or freezing are not a solution
However, mold toxins found in fruit are less dangerous according to the expert. As it is unlikely that the symptoms of gastrointestinal upset could be resolved after taking them, Degen considers it acceptable to remove a single moldy fruit from the fruit basket and to eat the whole after thorough washing.

Even jam can therefore be consumed if the affected area is removed generously. However, the report points out that by now not all mycotoxins are comprehensively known and especially pregnant women, children and the sick should be careful when in doubt.

Incidentally, heat and cold are not the answer: "Mycotoxins can not be eliminated by cooking or freezing," says Antje Gahl, a nutritionist at the German Nutrition Society (DGE) in an earlier statement. (Ad)