eating moldy food...

[Winter]

can you get very sick from eating moldy food? I mean not purposely eating moldy food, but by accident???

[canalon]

i hope you are doing that on purpose... But since some people are willingly going to the McDonald, I guess it could be possible

More seriously, the answer is yes and no. Yes in the sense that mouldy food is usually rotten and many things that will make you sick can be found in this kind of food. But in my experience, first you do not eat a lot and you tend to spit it quite fast, and well i never got sick (but I am not the kind of person who get easily sick). But bad luck some of the mould on food also produce toxins that are highly carcinogenic, so maybe in a few years
But some mouldy food like "blue cheeses" are also considered a delicacy by many people, and are indeed quite healthy. Some traditional foodstuff like the swedish Sürströming are considered safe, but you really need to be a drunk Swede to even come close to an open can of the stuff....

Patrick

[MrMistery]

But some mouldy food like "blue cheeses" are also considered a delicacy by many people, and are indeed quite healthy.
Patrick

You are so right! That cheese is a gift from god! I like dairy products very much, and it is one of my favourites. I just wish it wasn't so god damned expensive

[DJ]

sorry in advance for bumping, but don't forget, even if you pick the mold you see off a piece of bread, the clear hyphae can extend all the way through the loaf, and you won't even know you're eating it. eewwww

[MrMistery]

That is why it is recommended that you throw out that particular bread...

[DevGrp]

Yes eating mouldy food can be dangerous, Peter the Great lost 20000 men to rye flour infected with Claviceps purpurea (also known as ergot) during his invasion of Turkey in 1722.

Many fungi produce toxins see
http://www.doctorfungus.org/mycoses/env ... isease.htm

On the other hand fungi and bacteria can produce many useful products including: Beer, bread, yoghurt, beer, blue cheeses (penicillium species), Brie (non-conidia forming penicillium) Beer, antibiotics, beer, wine, beer, quorn (fusarium species) and mustn't forget BEER