What happens when you eat moldy food?

What is mold on food? Is it safe to cut off the moldy part and eat the rest?

We've all been there. You're eating a piece of cake and suddenly you notice a moldy spot on it. No big deal, right? Some people think it's okay to just throw the moldy food away, but others can't stand the sight of mold on their food.

If you've ever wondered what happens when you eat mold, here's what you need to know.

Small mold spots that appear on food can be harmful to those who eat them (Illustration: Getty).

Whatever the reason or purpose of eating, such as eating for enjoyment or eating to stave off hunger when missing a meal, consuming moldy food is frowned upon.

While eating a little mold may not cause you any problems, some types of mold are extremely harmful to the body. Furthermore, even the most benign molds can lead to fungal infections in people with weakened immune systems.

For most people, eating a piece of moldy food isn't too bad. Stomach acids can kill mold, breaking it down and rendering it harmless.

However, depending on the type of mold and how much you eat, the problem can become more serious. And just because you see a little mold on the surface of food doesn't mean there isn't a lot of mold inside the food.

So if you cut off the moldy part, is the rest safe? The answer is no. Mold is actually a very small fungus, meaning it has spores, roots, and stems. Just because you only see a few small spots doesn't mean that the roots haven't spread throughout the entire food.

So eating anything moldy is not a good idea. In fact, some molds can produce mycotoxins, which can cause severe poisoning and even cancer if you are exposed to them for a long time. So it is best to avoid eating any food that has mold on it.

Additionally, exposure to mycotoxins can be extremely difficult to detect, especially if you've been exposed to it for a long time. This makes eating mold very dangerous, even if you only encounter it occasionally.

So what about the mold in some cheeses? The mold in blue cheese is not dangerous. In fact, these molds are safe to eat and are encouraged to grow in cheese to enhance its unique flavor.

However, cheeses that are not intentionally moldy but do become moldy should absolutely not be eaten.

So the bottom line is don't eat mold unless the food has been intentionally inoculated with mold to create a special product. When you see mold on food, it's best to throw it all away because it could be toxic mold that has eaten into the food even if you can't see it.