Mold on your bread is not safe to eat. In fact, if your bread is moldy, it is best to throw it away. Mold is not a bacteria, and therefore does not cause food poisoning, but eating moldy bread is dangerous and can make you sick.
Mold
Mold is a type of fungi that live on plants or animals. It is made up of many cells, which is why you can see it with your naked eye. Under a microscope, it looks like skinny mushrooms. The spores of the mold are what gives it its color. Spores are also airborne and spread the mold. Molds also form roots, which can go deep into a food item, which is why you should discard any food contaminated with mold.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are the poisonous substances in mold that make you sick. They are most commonly found in grain products, such as bread, but can also grow on foods like celery, apples and other produce. There are different types of mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, which is a cancer-causing poison. Aflatoxin is produced by mold found in corn and peanuts. At the time of publication, the Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that preventing aflatoxin is one of the most difficult agricultural challenges today.
Symptoms of Mold Ingestion
Eating moldy food does not cause the same symptoms as eating a food infected with a bacteria such as E. coli, but it can still make you sick. Typical symptoms of moldy food ingestion include nausea and vomiting. They are usually caused by the bad taste and smell of the moldy bread. In addition to not eating the moldy bread, you also should not sniff it. Mold spores can enter your lungs this way and cause difficulty breathing or other respiratory problems.
Minimizing Mold
To prevent your bread from getting moldy, only buy enough that you can consume within a few days. Any bread that you cannot eat within a few days should be frozen. If your bread has gone moldy, put it in an airtight container, such as a plastic bag, and throw it away in a garbage can with a lid that cannot be accessed by children or animals. Then, thoroughly clean your kitchen in the area where the moldy bread was stored.
