Mold varies greatly in appearance The appearance varies from silky cottony or granular to tough or smooth velvety and can be colorless, white, gray, brown, black, yellow, green, etc. As it grows, mold will emit a “ musty ” odor that comes from the VOC vapors it releases. At present, about 100 kinds of indoor molds have been found to be potentially harmful to human health, including Cladosporium, Alternaria, Fusarium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Geotrichum, Rhodotorula and Chaetomium . They can cause infection, mainly in the form of ingestion of fungal poisoning , allergic asthma , pneumonia and other diseases. Molds are conditional pathogens, and usually develop under the influence of long-term and large-scale use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, pregnancy, diabetes, tumors and other factors that weaken the immune system. As common sense, we all know that moldy food cannot be eaten. This is not only because the internal ingredients of moldy food have been destroyed, affecting the taste and nutritional value, but more importantly, it may cause food poisoning. For example, some moldy peanuts and soybeans may also contain aflatoxin , which is a strong carcinogen that can induce cancer and endanger human health. However, some people still cherish food like gold and are reluctant to throw away moldy food. They only cut off the moldy part and continue to eat the rest. Some people think that if the food is a little moldy, it can be eaten after high-temperature steaming or frying. This is obviously not advisable. Because in addition to the moldy part visible to the naked eye that is cut off, the remaining part may have been invaded by mold . In addition to mold, moldy food may also carry other bacteria and viruses. Some pathogens cannot be killed by high-temperature treatment (such as mad cow disease virus); the temperature of high-temperature cooking can generally only reach 100℃, but aflatoxin can withstand heat of 280℃. Steaming cannot kill harmful substances that withstand high temperatures . Therefore, after eating moldy food cooked at high temperatures, diarrhea, abdominal pain and other food poisoning symptoms may still occur. Does this mean that moldy food cannot be eaten? Not really. There are exceptions - hairy tofu I believe many of you have seen hairy tofu on food shows, which is the "hairy tofu" loved by many people. The Chinese people have a very long history of eating hairy tofu, which began around the Yuan Dynasty. So is Mao tofu poisonous? Is it safe to eat? First, let’s take a look at how Mao tofu is formed. Hairy tofu The reason why it grows hair is that excellent Mucor is directly inoculated on tofu under sterile conditions, and stored in an environment with very suitable temperature and humidity. After artificial fermentation, a kind of white hair grows, which is the aerial hyphae of Mucor. Traditional or homemade hairy tofu comes from Mucor spores in the air and may be contaminated by other species. Tofu with black, green, or yellow hair is inedible and may be moldy and spoiled. The surface of hairy tofu is full of white hair, but it does not mean that the food is rotten. In fact, the formation of hairy tofu is a fermentation process . During the fermentation process, the plant protein in hairy tofu will be converted into a variety of amino acids . Hairy tofu, fermented bean curd, and black beans are all fermented bean foods. Therefore , hairy tofu smells bad but tastes delicious. It is harmless to the body and can be eaten with confidence. To sum up, we need to scientifically identify "moldy" foods in our lives, recognize the true face of "mold", and discard truly moldy and rotten foods in time. We must not eat them because we feel sorry for them, fear of waste, or rely on luck . Of course, when faced with hairy tofu disguised as "snowy", we don't need to worry too much and keep the delicious food away from us. To learn more about "bacteria", please click on the academic article: Analysis of bacterial resistance in Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 2019, Peking Union Medical College Journal Original author: Liu Wenjing, Xu Yingchun, Yang Qiwen, Wang Yao, Sun Hongli, Zhao Ying, Dou Hongtao, Liu Yali, Guo Lina, Zhu Renyuan, Zhang Li, Xiao Meng, Zhang Xiaojiang Editor: Liu Yang and Zhao Na Proofreading: Li Na, Li Yule, Dong Zhe, Li Huiwen Producer: Wu Wenming 【Copyright Statement】 "Pumch Medical Journal" advocates respecting and protecting intellectual property rights. Reprinting and quoting are welcome, but authorization from this platform is required. If you have any questions about the content and copyright of the article, please send an email to [email protected], and we will communicate with you in a timely manner. The graphic content is for communication and learning only, not for profit; the popular science content is only used to popularize public health knowledge. Readers should not use it as a basis for individual diagnosis and treatment, and do not dispose of it on their own to avoid delaying treatment. For medical treatment, please visit the Peking Union Medical College Hospital APP online or offline. |
<<: Drinking tea has many benefits, but many people don’t drink it right!
The recent local epidemic in Shanghai has become t...
If there is any difference between the 2019 Doubl...
Author: Yan Xin, resident physician at Beijing To...
As hot as the August sun was the competition on t...
Guike Zhihu Sales Practice Camp will help you ear...
Some customers will ask, "How much does Baid...
As an operator, I have always been paying attenti...
There are more than one type of ibuprofen on the ...
Through reading a book these two days, Tadpole ha...
Perhaps many people don’t know that Zhihu is the ...
Double Eleven is coming, and those Apple fans who...
Preface: As of November 30, 2015, the thinnest 15...
Leviathan Press: If it were not related to the in...
Double 11 and Double 12 are coming one after anot...
The cold air is coming again! November 19-22 Rain...