With the hot and humid weather in Hong Kong, food that is not properly preserved will spoil easily and even become mouldy. Some people will remove the mouldy parts and continue to eat the food to reduce waste. However, this practice will increase the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, liver diseases and even liver cancer. Therefore, we must throw away mouldy food or else we are only having small gains at the expense of huge losses.

Common Foods that Can Grow Mould

1.Fruits

Fruits such as apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries and grapes, etc., are often bought in bulk and cannot be finished in time. They will then end up becoming mouldy due to prolonged storage. Since fruits have high sugar and water content, it only takes a few days for them to spoil and develop moulds, and the moulds may even spread to other fruits that are still in good condition.

2.Nuts

Nuts such as peanuts, cashews, walnuts, etc, have a high risk of growing mould. They will then be infected with Aspergillus flavus, a kind of Group 1 carcinogen with high toxicity. If it enters the human body, it will accumulate in the liver and become difficult to be discharged from the body, causing great harm to the liver and kidney cells. Prolonged intake of Aspergillus flavus may even lead to liver failure and increase the risk of liver cancer.

3.Bread

If you see black or yellowish-orange spots, patches or moulds on the bread, do not consume it to reduce waste even after removing the mouldy part. As hyphae are long and can easily cover the whole bread, it is impossible to determine with the naked eye whether it has grown elsewhere even after removing the mouldy part.

Why are moulds bad for the liver?

The liver is one of the detoxification systems of the body and can break down small amounts of mould. However, the unhealthy lifestyles and excessive stress of city dwellers often overload and weaken its metabolic function. Even if the intake of mould is small, prolonged intake also exerts great pressure on the liver and damages the gut microbiota. It can consequently lead to food poisoning, acute vomiting and stomach diseases, hepatitis, and even liver cancer in severe cases.

High-Risk Groups Prone to Mould Infections

The elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems have weaker livers. If they eat mouldy food for a long time out of cherishing food, their gastrointestinal tract is very likely to be damaged, leading to diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, remember not to eat mouldy food anymore.

Two Major Principles of Food Storage

Food should be stored under two major principles: a low-temperature and dry environment. Since high temperature and moisture promote the growth of bacteria, you should store food in zipper bags or vacuum bags. A vacuum environment is free of oxygen, therefore is able to extend the shelf life of food.

Food that can be refrigerated should be stored at or below 4 to 6 degrees Celsius in a fridge, or at minus 15 degrees Celsius in a freezer. If the food cannot be refrigerated, store it in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place.