"Swallow it. Swallow it."
Um, mold?
What?
Yup, some mold is delicious,
like the one in blue cheese.
But what about that strawberry
you just bit into,
what is that strange flavor?
Could that be mold?
Suddenly, you have a rash
all over your skin.
You feel nauseous,
your eyes flood with tears,
and you can’t breathe.
Oh no.
Are you going to die?
Not today, my friend.
Just for some perspective,
the first antibiotic,
penicillin,
comes from a mold.
But most molds are not delicious
or helpful,
and those are the ones
you need to watch out for.
Mold is a microscopic fungus.
It can grow in plant
and animal products.
It spreads fast,
and you can identify it
on some contaminated surfaces
as dark green stains.
But it could be much harder
to spot on other things.
Mold produces mycotoxins,
a poisonous toxin
that can cause many severe
health effects in humans.
And in some circumstances,
it could be fatal.
Mold is especially dangerous
if your immune system
doesn't work well,
or you have a respiratory disorder.
But anyone can suffer
mold poisoning.
Aflatoxins are the most dangerous
kinds of mycotoxins.
They're cancer-causing.
And they can grow in nuts,
peanuts,
corn, and cereals,
before and after harvesting.
Those cancer causing baddies,
the aflatoxins,
grow in hot and humid weather.
So they could start developing
more often due to climate change.
Some kinds of mold are safe to eat.
We use mold in some tasty foods,
like Roquefort,
Gorgonzola,
or Camembert cheeses.
But dangerous molds
can grow in every fruit,
vegetable,
and in cured or cooked meats.
So you need to check every thing.
Even processed foods in glass jars
can contain poisonous mold.
Look for soft spots,
or places where your food
changes color,
especially if they're green,
black, grey, or white.
If you find some
in your grocery store,
warn the manager.
You might notice an "off" smell
from moldy food.
Mold spores travel through the air,
so if you see a mold stain,
don’t sniff it.
You can get really sick
from mold spores,
as Gina López found out.
After two years of living
in her apartment in New Mexico,
she had chronic headaches,
mood swings, depression,
and many allergies.
She even developed asthma.
Many doctors tried to find out
the source of her ailments,
but failed.
Finally,
she tested the air quality
in her home,
and found high toxic levels of mold.
Now she’s recovering,
thanks to the correct treatment,
and lots of cleaning.
If you find mold on any food,
you need to throw that food away.
Fast.
Mold spreads quickly through the air,
and it grows deep roots in food.
Even if you cut it out,
mold toxins can remain
in the deeper layers of food,
and in your refrigerator.
If you find any mold,
throw that delicacy away,
and clean your whole
fridge and pantry.
And even if it looks fuzzy and soft,
you don't want to touch mold either.
OK.
Mold could be hazardous,
but if you have a healthy
immune system,
you can survive it.
Of the estimated
100,000 species of mold,
only about 80 are considered
harmful to humans.
But you still don't want mold
to trigger an asthma attack,
or other symptoms.
Great.
You survived eating that moldy snack,
but remember that the best remedy
for mold poisoning
is to stay healthy.
Consult your doctor if you feel sick.
Self-medicating is dangerous,
and it could lead to your body
resisting antibiotics.
Imagine waking up,
being surrounded by thousands
of brain-eating zombies.
How could you overcome that?