You
should not eat mouldy food because it may contain poisonous
substances that are produced by the moulds.
Many
species of such common moulds as Penicillium and
Aspergillus, Alternaria, Fusarium and
Cladosporium (blue, green, yellow, pink, red or black
moulds) which often grow on bread, cheese, fruit and vegetables,
produce these poisons, which are called mycotoxins.
We already
know of over 200 kinds of mycotoxin, produced by about 150
different fungi, and more are being discovered every year.
Some are toxic at very low doses, and many are heat stable,
so you can't get rid of them by cooking the food.
Aflatoxin,
produced by a few species of Aspergillus, is the
most carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substance known. Ochratoxin,
produced by other species of Aspergillus, can cause
fatal kidney disease. Don't take a chance -- don't eat mouldy
food.
