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| Illustration of Bread | image source: Debbie Wijaya/unsplash |
When I was a child, I once found a slice of bread with green, fuzzy spots. It was positioned at the end of several other slices lined up behind it, much like how store-bought bread is arranged in a plastic-wrapped container.
At first, I hesitated to eat it, but my mother assured me that it was fine as long as I discarded the moldy slice and ate the others. Trusting her, I went ahead and toasted the remaining slices.
For a long time, I believed that simply removing the moldy part made the food safe to eat. However, that belief changed when I got to college and learned that even if mold appears only in a specific area, the entire food item should not be consumed. But why is that the case?
Getting to Know the Mold on Bread
The mold we typically see on bread falls under the fungi classification, which includes molds, yeasts, and mushrooms. These organisms belong to the kingdom Fungi.
What Are Fungi?
According to the Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), fungi are plant-like organisms that lack leaves and chlorophyll (green pigment). They can thrive on plants, animals, food, and beverages. Some fungi are parasitic and pathogenic (causing diseases), while others are beneficial.
Beneficial fungi are used in wine, beer, and alcohol production (yeast), as well as fermented foods like tempeh, oncom, and soy sauce (mold). Some edible mushrooms include wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and champignon mushrooms.
However, the mold that grows on bread, which appears green, white, or black, is specifically known as filamentous fungi or mold. Mold reproduces both sexually (via gamete fusion) and asexually (by forming spores without gamete fusion). Mold spores are highly sensitive to moisture and easily spread through the air.
Mold spreads across food surfaces due to a structure called mycelium, which resembles "branches" growing over the substrate (the food). Over time, the mold visibly expands because the mycelium continues to grow and spread.
A Closer Look at Mold and Its Risks
Not all molds are harmful, but that does not mean they are safe to eat. The only exception is mold that has been specifically cultivated and researched for fermentation purposes, such as in tempeh, oncom, and soy sauce production.
Mold on bread, however, is wild mold, and its safety is unknown. To put it simply, bread with mold should be considered spoiled food. Like any spoiled food, it is unsafe to consume due to the risk of food poisoning. However, many people are reluctant to waste food and prefer to remove the moldy portion and eat the rest—which is a bad idea.
As mentioned earlier, fungi spread through mycelium, which is invisible to the naked eye. The visible mold is just a collection of many intertwined mycelial strands. Because mycelium spreads quickly, it is impossible to know how far it has infiltrated the bread. The safest assumption is that once one part of the bread is moldy, the entire loaf has already been contaminated.
Mold Can Produce Harmful Toxins
Wild mold can produce toxins to aid its growth and inhibit competing organisms. These toxins are known as mycotoxins, which contaminate food and beverages.
Consuming mycotoxins can lead to various illnesses and even damage organs. One alarming fact is that mycotoxins are heat-resistant, meaning they can survive temperatures above 80°C (176°F). This means that toasting or baking moldy bread does not make it safe to eat.
One of the most well-known mycotoxins is ochratoxin, which is produced by Aspergillus mold and commonly contaminates grains and nuts. Ochratoxin exposure can lead to liver damage, kidney problems, and neurological disorders. This is why contaminated coffee beans or nuts are discarded to prevent further spread. Some studies suggest that ochratoxin can also be present in moldy bread.
Conclusion
Now, it is clear that mold on the surface of one slice of bread has likely already spread throughout the loaf—both through mycelium growth and airborne spores. Mold spores are tiny, easily dispersed, and capable of rapidly germinating in moist, nutrient-rich environments.
We can never be certain whether the mold in our food is safe or harmful. From a food safety perspective, any food contaminated with mold should be discarded entirely, not just the visibly affected part. The risk lies in mycotoxins, which remain potent even at high temperatures. Heating moldy bread does not eliminate its dangers.
Some people might argue, "I've eaten moldy food before and I'm fine!" While it is possible that they consumed non-toxic mold, mycotoxins accumulate in the body over time. Regularly consuming contaminated food can lead to serious health issues in the future.
So, dear reader, the question remains: Will you continue to discard only the moldy part, or will you throw away the entire loaf?
References:
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Kaiser)/Unit_4%3A_Eukaryotic_Microorganisms_and_Viruses/08%3A_Fungi/8.3%3A_Molds
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8639867/
- https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/1905
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ioannis-Vagelas/publication/229180508_Bread_contamination_with_fungus/links/00b495352347a3b5ac000000/Bread-contamination-with-fungus.pdf
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf00119a050
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002023002307
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