Why is eating partially moldy fruit dangerous?

When rummaging through your kitchen to think about the day’s menu, sometimes you come across a partially moldy fruit or vegetable. Some may be tempted to simply cut off the marked portion and consume the food. But “some mold can cause allergic reactions, respiratory problems, or contain toxins, some of which, such as aflatoxins, are carcinogenic,” warns Dr. Osean Sorel of virology. In the video published on his Instagram account (French virologist) on June 26, the specialist explains under what conditions it is possible or not to eat partially moldy fruit or vegetables.

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To find out, you just have to look at the nature of the food. If it’s “soft” like a peach, cucumber, strawberry or tomato, “we don’t eat it and throw it away.” The problem? The moisture in these fruits and vegetables allows the fungi to multiply by “sliding the roots in,” the virologist explains. Not to mention that “other bacteria can take advantage of some moldy parts to grow around them.” On the other hand, for “hard” products like carrots, cabbage, apples or peppers, “we can cut around 2.5 cm. [du moisi] and keep the rest,” he assures.

“Moisture and heat contribute to the growth of mold,” recalls the specialist. They form spores (a cell or set of cells with reproductive capabilities, editor’s note) which float in the air and accumulate in the environment and resume their growth when conditions are ideal.

To minimize this increase in our food, Océane Sorel offers some advice. It is primarily a matter of “cleaning the surfaces well” if food has formed in our cupboards or refrigerator, so that “spores” do not accumulate and can contaminate other products. To do this, he recommends “using diluted bleach to disinfect.” It is also advisable to “regularly wash and change sponges, tea towels, napkins and other damp cloths, which are favorite places for fungi,” he continues. Still, to prevent the establishment of “fungal spores” in our storage areas, a virologist recommends covering food, rather than putting it “bare” in the vegetable drawer. Finally, he invites us to “not leave food out of the fridge for more than two hours” and to use up our leftovers within three days to prevent mold from growing.