Hidden Horror In Your Food
Protect Yourself from Invisible Mold on Food
W e humans aren’t the only ones who relish lush, juicy summertime produce -- mold, too, thrives happily on the sugar and moisture so readily available in ripe fruits and vegetables. It even can grow deep into these foods where you can’t see it... ick! According to Leigh Broadhurst, PhD, research geochemist in the USDA’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Services, even invisible mold in your food can make you sick. She told me that just sniffing mold in food can make you ill with symptoms that can range from slightly nauseous to a life-threatening toxic shock reaction. Here is her advice...
- Citrus fruits. When you get home from the market, do an immediate and thorough check of citrus fruits in bags and boxes -- if you find one or two with even a bit of visible mold, there are likely to be more -- return them all to the store or toss them all into the trash. Mold spreads easily and fast with these fruits, and eating citrus with mold can make you quite ill. And, since it’s sometimes hard to see, if a fruit tastes moldy when you bite into it, spit it out.
- Soft fruits and vegetables. This category includes peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes, melons, cucumbers, zucchini and the like, all of which are prone to announce mold by developing soft spots. For these, it’s okay to cut small moldy spots away (meaning those that are less than a quarter of the total piece), taking one-half inch around the spot. To avoid cross-contamination, don’t let the knife touch the mold. Larger soft areas, though, mean mold has invaded the whole fruit or vegetable even though you don’t see it... throw the food away.
- Firm vegetables. Hard vegetables, like cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, peppers and others, have little moisture, making them less vulnerable to mold. It is fine to cut off any small patches of mold you see, in this case at least one inch around the mold.
- Tomatoes. Brown spots on the outside and dark seeds inside mean you should throw the entire tomato away.
- Berries. The ones with hollow centers (like raspberries) may grow mold from the inside out, so cut these in half and look before eating.
Block That Mold!
The safest produce, of course, is that which hasn’t had a chance to grow mold. Dr. Broadhurst has a few tips for that as well...
- Shop at local farmer’s markets, where produce is more likely to be just-picked.
- Wash produce only when you are ready to eat, cook or freeze it. Fruits and vegetables naturally have protective microorganisms on their surfaces that are harmless -- washing strips these off and opens the way for mold to settle in.
- Use "freshness preserving" containers and/or bags. These are designed to release the ethylene gas produced as fruits and vegetables mature, which if allowed to accumulate increases the speed of ripening and thus spoilage.
- Use the freezer, in particular for fresh berries you want to save. Place the entire package (washed first) into a sealed plastic bag and put it in the freezer, then use the fruit as you need it. (It won’t have the same consistency as fresh fruit, but it’s delicious... nutritious too.) Also a good choice: Frozen berries from the supermarket -- they do not mold and are good year-round.
Leigh Broadhurst, PhD, a research geochemist in the USDA’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Services, Beltsville, Maryland.
