This Is The Best Formula To Follow When It Comes To Eating (Or Binning) Mouldy Food | HuffPost Life

When Is It Okay To Eat Mouldy Food?

Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK

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There's nothing worse than opening a tub of blueberries to find a furry friend tucked away among them.

Mould is a pain in the backside - and once one berry goes, you've pretty much lost the bunch.

Eye Opener TV reports that with soft foods, once part of it has gone mouldy it's a good idea to ditch the entire pack altogether because chances are, the mould has spread and contaminated everything.

With hard foods such as cheese and pears, you can simply cut around the mould and munch away.

And if you do eat mouldy food, then you're doing it at your own peril as it can cause allergic reactions and, in serious cases, respiratory failure.

It also creates mycotoxins which make you sick.

The lesson to take away from this? Bin the soft foods and don't eat them. Keep the hard foods and chop around the furry bits.

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Moldy Foods You Can Eat (And Which To Toss)

Eat: Hard Salami And Dry-Cured Country Ham(01 of12)

Apparently it's normal for these products to have a surface mold. The USDA's advice is to just scrub the mold off the surface and then use.More from EatingWell:5 Bad Eating Habits and How to Break Them 5 Common Food-Borne Bacteria to Avoid 10 Rules for a Healthy, Safe Kitchen (credit:Alamy)

Eat: Hard Cheese Made Without Mold(02 of12)

For cheeses where mold isn't part of the processing, mold generally can't get deep into the product. For hard cheeses, such as asiago, pecorino, parmesan and cheddar, lop off at least one inch around and below the mold spot (to avoid cross-contamination, be careful not to touch the mold with the knife).Flickr photo by Like_the_Grand_Canyon (credit:Flickr: Like_the_Grand_Canyon)

Eat: Hard Cheese Made With Mold(03 of12)

If these cheeses, such as gorgonzola and stilton, have a surface mold on them, you can use them if you cut off at least one inch around and below the mold spot.Flickr photo by Felipe Kamakura (credit:Flickr: Felipe Kamakura)

Eat: Firm Fruits And Vegetables(04 of12)

The key word here is firm (think: cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, etc.). Like the hard cheeses made without mold, dense fruits and vegetables are not easily penetrated by mold. The same rule of thumb applies to firm produce: Cut off at least an inch around and below the mold spot (again, not touching the mold with your knife) before using.Flickr photo by timparkinson (credit:Flickr: timparkinson)

Toss: Yogurt And Sour Cream(05 of12)

These foods have a high moisture content and so may be contaminated with mold -- which have difficult-to-see, thin, threadlike branches and roots -- below the surface.Flickr photo by Mr. T in DC (credit:Flickr: Mr. T in DC)

Toss: Some Cheeses(06 of12)

Cheeses that are made with mold and aren't hard -- such as brie, camembert and some blue cheeses -- should be discarded. Soft cheeses, such as cottage and cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, etc., should also be thrown away. Also ditch all types of crumbled, shredded or sliced cheeses.Flickr photo by Calgary Reviews (credit:Flickr: Calgary Reviews)

Toss: Jams And Jellies(07 of12)

According to the USDA, the mold in jams and jellies could produce a mycotoxin (a poisonous substance that can make you sick) and so should be discarded.Flickr photo by Mr. T in DC (credit:Flickr: Mr. T in DC)

Toss: Soft Fruits And Vegetables(08 of12)

Like yogurt and sour cream, soft fruits and vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, berries, etc.) may have mold growing below the surface. Also, because mold spreads quickly in fruits and vegetables, check nearby foods in your produce drawer.Flickr photo by Thelonious Gonzo (credit:Flickr: Thelonious Gonzo)

Toss: Bread And Baked Goods(09 of12)

These are porous foods, so mold may also be growing below the surface.Flickr photo by jeffreyw (credit:Flickr: jeffreyw)

Toss: Peanut Butter, Legumes And Nuts(10 of12)

Because these are processed without preservatives, they're at high risk for mold, according to the USDA. Flickr photo by Listener42 (credit:Flickr: Listener42)

Toss: Luncheon Meats, Bacon Or Hot Dogs(11 of12)

If these items, which are moisture-rich, like yogurt, sour cream and produce, have mold on them, they should be discarded as the mold may also be below the surface.Flickr photo by alex.shultz (credit:Flickr: alex.shultz)

Toss: Cooked Leftovers(12 of12)

The USDA advises that you discard cooked leftover meat and poultry, cooked casseroles and cooked grain and pasta that are moldy. They all have high moisture content and, thus, may be contaminated with mold below the surface.More from EatingWell:5 Bad Eating Habits and How to Break Them 5 Common Food-Borne Bacteria to Avoid 10 Rules for a Healthy, Safe KitchenFlickr photo by Sarah G... (credit:Flickr: Sarah G...)

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