(DailyAnswer.org) – Experts have stressed the dangers of invisible mold in food, particularly concerning leftover rice. Patricia Ladis, a physical health expert, explained that especially in leftover rice there is an invisible mold that is hard to detect and that this was linked to multiple cases of illness in Japan due to people consuming leftover rice that should have been thrown away.
Though many may hear that they should not reheat leftover rice, the danger actually comes from badly storing the rice and allowing spores of the Bacillus cereus bacterium to spread. Ladis added that mold can cause a number of serious health issues such as bronchitis, respiratory issues, neurological issues and sinusitis. The invisible bacteria spores in leftover rice can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Britain’s NHS has advised people to only leave leftover rice in the fridge for up to 24 hours before reheating.
Food scientists and microbiologists have been quick to debunk common assumptions that it is always safe to simply eat or cut around visible mold in food. Warm and humid conditions in particular are breeding grounds for mold and that as well as visible signs of mold invisible spores and roots will also be present.
According to food scientists Betty Feng and Jeffrey Farber, soft and wet foods such as cream cheese, bread and fresh fruit are still unsafe when visible mold is removed, but harder foods such as carrots may be rescued and rendered safe to eat by the “amputation” approach. While not all molds contain harmful mycotoxins, such as that found in blue cheese, some mycotoxins in molds have been connected to liver cancer. Proper sealing of food to deprive it of oxygen, storing it in the fridge and a clean kitchen are all important ways of reducing the risk of mold spreading in food.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has said that hot leftovers such as rice can either be placed straight into the fridge or placed into an ice bath to cool quickly but has warned against leaving hot food out of the fridge for more than an hour.
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