What Happens If You Eat Mold by Accident?

Fruits and veggies

Much like cheese, fruits, and vegetables also have different rules in terms of mold depending on their texture:

• Soft produce such as cucumbers, peaches, and tomatoes can’t be saved once they start developing mold. Even if you wash away the spores on the surface, mold roots have most likely run very deep into the fruit or vegetable, so it’s best to simply toss it out.
• Firm produce still has a chance if you cut off the part where mold has grown. Because they have a low moisture content, fruits, and veggies such as cabbage, carrots or bell peppers make it more difficult for mold to grow deep roots.
• Make sure you always eat clean and fresh fruits, so you can receive all those amazing benefits they have! Check out this fruit box for extra vitamins and minerals that your body needs!

Other foods

Here are the general rules for other types of foods commonly found in our fridge:

• Luncheon meats. If your hot dogs, bacon or other similar meats have mold, throw them away without even thinking twice! Aside from the mold itself, such foods can also grow bacteria which affects your digestive system.
• Cooked casseroles/leftovers. Once again, if you notice even a little mold on such foods, it’s best to throw them away. By the time you notice the mold, it has more than likely grown deep roots that cannot be eliminated.
• Yogurt and sour cream. When you notice mold on this surface, it almost certainly contains bacteria too. The solution? Get rid of the product immediately!
• Jams and jellies. It might be very tempting to scoop the mold off these products and eat the rest; however, these types of foods can develop a mycotoxin that causes severe adverse reactions.
• Bread and bakery products. According to Dr. Ivanina, the easiest answer is to throw away these products as well. That’s because mold can spread incredibly fast and grow deep roots in foods such as bread, muffins, or cakes.