Experts state that if products are not packaged and stored under suitable conditions, molds, yeasts, and bacteria can easily develop and spoil the quality of the food, adding that if moldy food has a hard texture, it can be cleaned and consumed, but if the food has a soft texture, it must be disposed of under appropriate conditions. Food Engineer Selen Akbulut emphasizes that molds can easily develop in high-humidity and oxygenated environments, and to prevent their formation, she recommends regular refrigerator cleaning, paying attention to the hygiene of storage containers, and consuming leftover food without delay. Akbulut also advises against consuming special green moldy cheeses if black and red spots are observed.
What should be done to prevent mold formation in foods?
Lecturer Selen Akbulut from the Food Technology Program at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vocational School of Health Services, made evaluations regarding moldy foods and shared her recommendations on the consumption of moldy foods.
Mold on the surface starts forming from the subsurface layer
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, stating that molds hold a very important place in food microbiology, especially in food spoilage, said, “Foods are an invaluable resource for the development of microorganisms due to the variety of their components and their water content. For this reason, especially molds, yeasts, and bacteria can easily develop and spoil the quality of food if products are not packaged and stored under suitable conditions. Many consumers may see mold on the surfaces of foods even if they store them in the refrigerator or under appropriate conditions. In fact, even if we only see it on the surface, this formation has reached the top from the lower layers of the food. In other words, this is only the visible part of the mold fungi.”
If moldy food has a soft texture, it must be disposed of immediately
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut stated that the fundamental answer to the question, ‘Can the mold on the surface of a food showing surface mold be cleaned and reused?’ lies in the nature of the food, and continued her words as follows:
“If the food has a hard texture, mold fungi cannot penetrate deep into the food. Therefore, there is no problem in cutting off and using the moldy parts. On the contrary, we can re-evaluate our foods with an approach that prevents food waste. However, if the food has a soft texture, cleaning the surface mold will unfortunately not be enough. These foodstuffs must be disposed of properly. The consumption of such moldy foods also leads to the intake of toxicological formations, especially those produced by molds called ‘mycotoxins’. These substances accumulate in our bodies over time, playing a role in the formation of chronic diseases, especially various types of cancer. If our food has a soft texture, in this case, mold will spread throughout the food, and furthermore, it will not only aid its own development but also create an environment conducive to the growth of other food pathogens, therefore the consumption of these foods definitely risks consumer health. We can say that these foods are not compliant with the definition of safe food. For this reason, these foods must be immediately separated from other edible quality foods and disposed of.”
Here are tips to prevent mold…
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, stating that molds, due to their structure, can easily develop very quickly in high-humidity and oxygenated environments, said, “Since molds are organisms that reproduce by spores, these spore cells can easily be carried through the air to other foods and spoil them. Even often, when we store our foods in the refrigerator, we witness them getting moldy even if we think they are safe.” She then listed what needs to be done to store foods more safely with a few points:
Refrigerator interior cleaning should be done regularly,
High humidity formation should be prevented in areas where food is stored,
Storage containers must be hygienic and tightly sealed against mold formation,
Leftover food should be consumed without much delay,
The kitchen should be ventilated regularly.
Should not be consumed if black and red spots are present
Food Engineer Selen Akbulut, reminding that our country has hundreds of cheese varieties produced with many different methods in terms of cheese diversity, said, “Cheeses are also a good source of protein and fat. Mold-ripened cheeses, produced by natural or industrial methods, are consumed in our country as in many other countries. In the world, the famous French Roquefort Cheese, English Blue Cheese, and Italian Gorgonzola cheese are nutritious moldy cheeses. In our country, especially Erzurum, Sivas, Kars, Ardahan, Erzincan, and Konya are the most common places where moldy cheese is produced and consumed. More often, our cheeses, such as moldy curd cheese varieties and civil cheeses referred to as ‘göğermiş’, are produced by molding and consumed with their mold. Firstly, it should be stated for this situation: there is no health concern in consuming these cheeses that are produced under controlled conditions by reliable food producers. We can say that these foods are no different from other fermented foods produced using microorganisms, such as yogurt, ayran, pickles, turnip juice, and vinegar.”
Akbulut continued her words as follows: “In the production of these cheeses, not bacteria or yeast cells, but mold fungi are used. Scientific studies have proven that these molds do not have a negative pathogenic effect on human health. However, one of the most important features to pay attention to is this: we usually see green mold on these cheeses. This indicates the presence of the Penicillum spp. type of mold used. If mold formation in the form of black and red spots is observed other than this color, those cheeses should not be consumed. These molds could be the mycotoxin-producing mold types mentioned earlier. These mold types are harmful to human health.”
Moldy cheeses should be obtained from reliable sellers
Lecturer Selen Akbulut from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Food Technology Program, stating that the cheeses sold as ‘moldy cheese’ in our country are varieties produced within our own culture, said, “Konya (Divle Cheese), Erzurum (Kerti Cheese), Hatay (Cooked Sürk Cheese), Burdur (Moldy Çökelek), and Ardahan (Moldy Cheese) are among our leading cities where moldy cheese is known by different names and consumed. The main issue consumers need to pay attention to when buying these cheeses is to obtain them from reliable sellers. Cheese producers, on the other hand, should use reliable starter mold fungi with defined genus and species, and the food should be molded appropriately to its quality. Especially the purchase of cheeses produced in our villages in Turkey and naturally molded can have irreversible toxic effects for consumers. There are many scientific studies indicating that cheeses produced in our villages, which are not very hygienic and are molded in an uncontrolled manner, can be harmful.”