Here’s What Happens To The Body If People Eat Moldy Food By Mistake

You’ve made a sandwich and taken a delicious bite. Then you see it: fuzzy green mold on the bread you’ve just eaten. It’s enough to make you sick. But what are the actual repercussions of this stomach-churning misstep? Is it enough to worry over, or no big deal? Well, according to experts, the answers to those questions may leave you more than a little rattled.

A whole lot of mold

Mold’s more common than you think. In fact, you’re never going to avoid it altogether. And the USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service has some very bad news if you’re a mold hater. On its website, it says, “No one knows how many species of molds exist, but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps 300,000 or more.” It's no wonder some of them find our way to our food.

Easy to grow

“These spores can be transported by air, water, or insects,” the USDA adds of mold. The best conditions for the stuff to grow, then, are in humid and warm places. And if you’ve ever accidentally left food out in a heatwave, then mold can creep onto it without you even noticing. Well, until it’s too late!

It's everywhere

Moldy food won’t always look the same; it can be dusty, furry, black, white, gray, green, or yellow. And in 2020 Dr. Carla Gervasio – who specializes in Oriental medicine – explained to Shape magazine that its spores don’t just grow on food. They can be in the air, for instance, as well as on the countertops where we prepare our food and even on the sponges with which we clean our dishes.

Mold loves food

Edible items are where you’re most likely to spot mold, however – particularly when they are spoiled. And, of course, the length of time it takes for food to become unsuitable for consumption depends on whether it’s been labeled perishable, semi-perishable, or non-perishable.