Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: Lewis Thomson on 03/03/2022 10:13:51

Title: Why can we eat specific mouldy foods but not others?
Post by: Lewis Thomson on 03/03/2022 10:13:51
Paul has been thinking about this and would like some help finding answers to it.

"When my bread goes mouldy, I give it to the birds and they seem to be able to consume it , presumably with no adverse effect. If I ate mouldy bread would it have an adverse effect on me? I am able to eat yoghurt and kimchee, and a lot of people drink alcohol."

What do you think? Discuss in the comments below...
Title: Re: Why can we eat specific mouldy foods but not others?
Post by: Origin on 03/03/2022 18:26:32
If I ate mouldy bread would it have an adverse effect on me?
Yes depending on the type of mold it could make you sick.
Quote
I am able to eat yoghurt and kimchee, and a lot of people drink alcohol."
Yogurt and kimchi are made using bacteria not mold.  Alcohol is made using yeast which is a fungus not a mold.
Blue cheese is a type of cheese that has a specific type of mold growing on it to give it that distinct blue cheese taste.  So some molds ARE edible and actually sought after (but not by me!)
Title: Re: Why can we eat specific mouldy foods but not others?
Post by: vhfpmr on 03/03/2022 21:06:52
If I ate mouldy bread would it have an adverse effect on me?
A few years ago the BBC made a documentary in which the recorded a load of time lapse films  of food rotting. An expert commenting said that one of the moulds that live on bread is absolutely deadly. There was a time when I'd pick mould off bread, but these days it doesn't hang around long enough to go mouldy.