Oops, I accidentally ate molded food! Now what?

We’ve all been there – a meal is planned out in your head but when you start to pull out ingredients, you find a little bit of mold. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner or even just a snack, here’s what to know about food that has mold or is not at its peak, courtesy of Baylor Medicine primary care physician Dr. Mike Ren.

“With some foods, it may be ok to remove a molded section and eat the rest of it, and with other foods, it’s not ok,” said Ren, assistant professor of family and community medicine. “The bottom line is, if you’re concerned about the quality of your food, the safest bet is to discard it.”

On dry foods, such as bread or hard cheese, you likely can remove a small amount of mold without any major health concerns. Ren recommends being generous with the amount of food you remove around the molded portion to be on the safe side. If mold is scattered across the bread or cheese, and not just isolated to one area, best to throw it out.

However, with foods that are more moist, it’s not a good idea to eat it if there are signs that it is molded or bad. For example, if you have a couple of strawberries in a container that have mold, you should throw out all of them.

This is because with moisture, there is more bacteria that is present with the mold.

Ren offers some helpful tips:

• Pay attention to the sell-by and eat-by dates, but remember they are not hard and fast rules. Use commons sense, too, by looking out for odors and the general condition of the food. Some food, like vegetables, may not develop an odor but you can gauge their condition by their color and consistency.
• The timeline to eat leftovers is anywhere from two to four days. Be sure to reheat leftovers, especially meat, sufficiently and be careful using seasoning before reheating, as that may mask an odor.
• Everyone’s gut biome and ability to tolerate foods is different. If you have a healthy gut, you may be more resilient but if you are known to have gut issues, be extra cautious with leftovers and food that is not at its peak.

As far as food favorites, Ren offers more advice:

• Guacamole turns brown due to oxidation, but it won’t hurt you. “It’s a bummer because it goes brown so fast and doesn’t look right, but it won’t hurt to eat it,” Ren said.
• It’s not good practice to drink milk directly from the container because that can introduce bacteria to your system. However, if you accidentally drink a little milk that has gone sour, this is not likely to cause harm. Do not keep milk more than one week post sell-by date.
• In the U.S., eggs that have consistently been refrigerated generally last between five to six weeks, even if the sell-by date indicates earlier.

If you experience a mild upset stomach after eating questionable food, Ren recommends Pepto Bismol. However, a doctor’s visit would be advised if you cannot keep food down or experience diarrhea for more than three days.

By Dana Benson