After you’ve finally gathered all your groceries for the week and made your way through the never-ending queues, there’s probably nothing that will get you back to the shop before the end of the week.
Even something as annoying as opening your newly bought loaf of bread only to find a mouldy slice might not be convincing enough for you to return to the store.
Chances are you just take out the green slice and throw it into the bin, making your way through the rest of the loaf as the week goes on.
However, Dr Karan Raj warned that “there is no such thing as the clean part of mouldy bread” on his TikTok.
Worryingly, what might seem like a “harmless” mould might actually be “lethal”.
The doctor explained that the mould that you can see with the naked eye is only “the crown jewels” of a bigger problem.
The reproductive organs of mould called sporangium release thousands of spores which are going to spread everywhere.
Speaking in the video, Dr Raj said: “And if you’re seeing these, then you are definitely not seeing the hidden roots.”
This means that throwing away just one slice covered with the fuzzy green stuff won’t make your loaf safe to eat.
The doctor explained that you need to say goodbye to the entire loaf to stay on the safe side.
While some types of mould are okay to be eaten – think blue cheese and antibiotics – others could spell a serious health risk.
Dr Raj said: “There are thousands of different types of mould. Some probably harmless, some not so good like Rhizopus stolonifer.”
The doctor explained that Rhizopus stolonifer is the mould that is commonly found in foods like bread. “It is almost impossible to tell whether a mould is harmless or not simply by looking at it, because some of them can produce pretty naughty mycotoxins that can be lethal,” he said.
Furthermore, toasting your bread won’t get rid of these mycotoxins. “So, just throw the whole damn mouldy thing away, please,” the doctor added.
