What Makes Some Mold Safe to Eat and Others Poisonous?
- Claire Lee
- Jul 7
- 1 min read
Blue cheese? Fancy salad topping. Blue bread…no thanks.
But what makes one safe and the other not?
Mold is a community of fungi that begins as little spores floating through the air. When these spores land, they eat and reproduce, making a visible colony. Sometimes mold appears in colored spots, other times in fur-like patches. Not the most appealing by description, but a lot of people eat it!
Examples of moldy delights include blue cheeses, salami, and wine. These are safe to consume because their mold is produced by fungi that do not release harmful chemicals responsible for causing illness.
Roquefort, for instance, is made with the fungus Penicillium roqueforti that creates its characteristic (very stinky) blue veins. This fungus has been used for centuries by cheesemakers and is unlikely to cause an upset stomach.
By contrast, mold that forms on produce, meat, dairy products, and leftovers from a meal is considered unsafe to eat. They might contain poisonous substances that can lead to anything from mild diarrhea to liver damage and even organ failure.
So while some mold is meant to be there, most is not and should be avoided.
Claire Lee is a rising senior at Leigh High School in San Jose, California. She is currently a student researcher for miRcore, a non-profit working to democratize medical research for all. She has worked in a confectionary shop and is interested in baking and chocolate.
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