Nutrition Q&A: Slice through the molds on food

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Nutrition Q & A: Slice through the molds on food

Thursday, August 18, 2005

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05230/555448.stm

By Alice Gettings and Javor

Q. I've been shopping at a wholesale membership club and purchasing

food in large quantities. Last week, I noticed the cheese in my

refrigerator contained mold. There was a family discussion about

whether to throw the entire chunk away or to cut off the mold and

eat the rest of the cheese. I also find mold on fruit and vegetables

sometimes. What should we do with these foods?

A. This is a very common problem that does not necessarily have a

simple answer. What you do concerning the mold depends on the type

of food.

Mold usually gets a bad rap. Believe it or not, there are good

molds. Molds considered beneficial and safe are those needed to make

many cheeses. For example, it is normal to have mold inside of

Roquefort and gorgonzola and on the surface of brie and camembert.

What is not normal is to have molds on cheeses like cheddar,

mozzarella and provolone. If you did not buy it with mold, it should

not be eaten with mold.

Molds are threadlike organisms (fungi) that live on plant or animal

matter and produce spores. Unlike bacteria, molds can be seen with

the naked eye. What you can't distinguish are the three different

parts of the mold -- the root threads, stalks, and spores. The root

threads are the parts that invade the food that the mold lives on,

and you probably won't be able to see them because they are so thin.

When a food shows heavy mold growth, the root threads have invaded

deep into the food. The stalks rise above the food, and the spores

form at the end of the stalks. Air, water, and insects can transport

these spores. It is the various spores that provide the different

colors of molds on food and that allow the mold to reproduce when

spread to another area.

The reason some molds can be dangerous is because they produce

toxins that can spread throughout the food and make you sick. The

poisonous toxins that are formed are called mycotoxins and can be

found in grain and nut crops, along with celery, grape juice, apples

and other produce. The most well-known mycotoxin is aflatoxin, a

cancer-causing poison found in field corn and peanuts. The United

States Department of Agriculture monitors these two foods for

aflatoxin and will remove any with unacceptable levels.

So what do you do with the cheese in your refrigerator that has mold

on it? If it is a hard cheese, like cheddar, cut off at least one

inch around and below the mold. It is important to keep the knife

away from the mold so that it does not cross-contaminate an area

that is mold-free. If the cheese was made with mold, but it has

additional growth on the inside as compared to when you purchased

it, throw it away. If the mold is on the surface of these cheeses,

handle it like you would hard cheese. Soft cheeses, like cottage and

cream, along with crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses, should be

thrown away.

When it comes to firm fruits and vegetables with low-moisture

content, like cabbage, carrots and apples, you can cut away one inch

around and below the mold. If mold is found on soft fruits and

vegetables with high-moisture content, like peaches, cucumbers and

tomatoes, the entire piece of fruit should be thrown away. Fruits

and vegetables that become moldy in a bag should also be discarded.

While most meats with mold should be thrown away, hard salami and

dry-cured country hams can be safely eaten if you scrub the mold off

the surface.

Almost any food can grow mold. The following is a list of foods you

should immediately discard if mold is found on them: luncheon meats,

bacon, and hot dogs; cooked leftover meat, poultry, and casseroles;

cooked grain and pasta; yogurt and sour cream; jams and jellies;

soft fruits and vegetables; bread and baked goods; peanut butter,

legumes and nuts.

There are several measures you can take to minimize mold growth.

Cleanliness is vital in controlling these nasty creatures, which can

build up in your refrigerator and on dishcloths. A few simple

practices will help you to minimize their growth. First, clean the

inside of your refrigerator every few months with one tablespoon of

baking soda dissolved in one quart of water. Rinse it with clear

water and allow to dry. If mold is visible, scrub it with three

teaspoons of unscented bleach mixed with one quart of water. Second,

keep cleaning supplies, like dishcloths, towels, sponges, and mops,

clean and fresh. A musty smell means the mold is spreading.

For food safety information, call your local Penn State ative

Extension office or check out Penn State's Food Safety Web site at

http.foodsafety.cas.psu.edu. You can also call the USDA's Meat and

Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

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( Alice Gettings and Javor are registered dietitians for

Penn State ative Extension. If you have a question about

nutrition or food safety, call 724-774-3003 in Beaver County or 412-

473-2540 in Allegheny County. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mondays through Fridays.)