Piece of Moldy Bread --- Image by © Martin Hospach/fstop/Corbis
Got a few green splotches on an otherwise-fine loaf of bread? No worries — just cut them off and you’re good to go, right? Wrong! According to science, that practice is not exactly a healthy one.
In today’s news that makes NewsFeed feel slightly ashamed of our life practices, it turns out that the visible spots (called spores) on the outside of food are just part of the mold. The rest is made up of hard-to-see strands that branch out from the spores.
In a podcast, Nadine Shaw of the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned against eating any moldy food, even if the mold wasn’t visible. “Most molds are harmless, but some are dangerous,” she cautioned. The most dangerous fungi can cause breathing problems, allergic reactions and, most scarily, cancer.
So, readers, follow NewsFeed’s example: If you’ve got a green loaf, just throw the whole thing out — it could give you cancer! (via Life’s Little Mysteries)