—Found a moldy slice of bread? Here’s whether you need to toss the whole loaf
Found a moldy slice of bread? Here’s whether you need to toss the whole loaf
Imagine: You’re hungry, and you’ve been thinking about nothing else but chowing down on a gooey, toasty grilled cheese or tuna melt for the past few hours. You open up the breadbox to get your loaf, and you discover that one end of it is covered in furry, gray-green mold. What do you do (aside from scream)? Do you cut off the moldy part and salvage the rest, as you would with a wedge of hard cheese?
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Actually, when it comes to bread, that’s a big no. Here’s why you should relegate that loaf to the trash or compost — and some handy tips for keeping the next one mold-free for longer.
Not all mold is visible
The fuzzy green, gray, or black stuff you see on the surface of bread is not just nasty to look at — it’s also potentially harmful. In addition to producing poisonous substances called mycotoxins, mold also sends out microscopic “threads” — nightmarish, we know — that travel deep below the surface.
“If we see [mold], it’s like the tip-of-the-iceberg sort of thing,” says Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food safety expert and professor emeritus of food regulatory affairs.
These threads travel more quickly and easily through soft, porous foods like bread, says Detwiler. And since they are impossible to see with the naked eye, you won’t know whether or not you’re consuming them. Cutting off a moldy spot “doesn’t actually guarantee that you’re removing contamination,” Detwiler explains.
What to do with moldy bread
Unfortunately, there’s really only one thing you can do with a moldy loaf of bread, says Detwiler: drop it straight in the trash or compost. It hurts, we know. However, considering the kinds of health problems mold can trigger if consumed or inhaled — nausea, vomiting and breathing problems, just to name a few — it’s never worth the gamble, particularly if you are immunocompromised.
The same goes for sliced bread: Even if only one slice is moldy, those fungus threads have most likely traveled to the rest of them. Again, better to toss the whole loaf.
Wondering how to preserve your bread for a bit longer? According to Detwiler, the key is to keep it as dry as possible. A breadbox or paper bag is an ideal container — both allow air to circulate, preventing moisture buildup. Avoid the fridge: While the freezer is ideal for storing bread — particularly if you plan on toasting it — the fridge can turn your bread stale more quickly than storing it at room temperature.
