Why you should’t eat bread touched with mould

Most of us have cut a tiny speck of mould off an out-of-date loaf before popping a slice in the toaster.

But this habit – one that many people do to help cut down on food waste – has to stop.

When you see green or white mould on bread, you are just seeing the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, because mould has long thread-like roots that invade the food.

The mould’s spore’s roots can go much further into the bread than our eyes can see.

“We don’t recommend cutting mould off of bread, because it’s a soft food,” Marianne Gravely, a senior technical information specialist for the United States Department of Agriculture told The New York Times.

“With soft food, it’s very easy for the roots [of the mould], or the tentacles, or whatever creepy word you want to use, to penetrate [deeper into the food].”

There might be some wiggle room when it comes to sliced bread that is stored in a bag as long as one end of the loaf is clean.

If you are ever unsure, experts recommend throwing the bread away.

Marianne added: “I have seen mould spread from one slice to the next.

“I’m sure some people would really want to press the situation, but bread is cheap. Go buy some more.”

Jam, soft fruits and lunch meat should also be thrown away once mould is spotted on any part of it.

There is some good news though.

Harder foods like salami, carrots and hard cheeses can be salvaged by cutting off the visible mould, since its roots can’t move as quickly through their tough surfaces.

We previously revealed why you should always pick steak that has ribbons of fat running through it – and how to correctly cook your hotdogs to ensure you get the best flavour.

What happens to your body if you eat mouldy bread?

If you do eat a slice of bread with mould on it you will digest it like any other food.

As long as you’ve got a relatively healthy immune system, the most you’ll experience is some nausea or vomiting.

If you’re allergic to the mould, it can bring on additional symptoms including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

Although common bread mould isn’t especially harmful, there are some dangerous moulds which can be detrimental to your health.

These are linked to more serious ailments such as cancer and respiratory problems.

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