Nuts are the seeds of woody plants with hard shells, including walnuts, chestnuts, apricot kernels, lentil kernels, pecans, pistachios, botanicals, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and so on. Nuts are rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, etc., is a popular class of food by consumers. But nuts in a humid environment, easy to absorb the moisture in the air, contaminated by mold. What harm may this bring? What should I pay attention to when consuming and buying?
What is mold?
Mold is the common name for the part of the fungus that has a more developed mycelium and no larger substrate, also called “moldy fungi”. There are many kinds of molds, more than 45,000 species have been found. Food surface growth of some fluffy, flocculent or cobweb-like colonies, is mold.
Mold contamination may reduce the quality of food, but not all mold is harmful. Many molds have important roles in the fermentation industry, biomedicine and other fields, such as tofu milk fermentation (Trichoderma reesei), antibiotic (penicillin, ashwagandha) production, plant growth hormone (erythromycin) synthesis, etc.
What are the risks of mold contamination of nuts?
According to the National Standard for Food Safety Nuts and Seeds (GB 19300-2014), mold in cooked nuts and seeds processed by the roasting process should not exceed 25 CFU/g. If mold is detected in nuts exceeding the standard limit, it may mean that their edible value is reduced or even inedible.
Whether mold-contaminated nuts will cause harm to human health, depending on whether the mold metabolism produces known, clear toxicity of mycotoxins. Such as Aspergillus flavus metabolism produces aflatoxin, and aflatoxin is one of the strong carcinogenic substances, a large intake will cause acute poisoning.
How can consumers prevent mold contamination hazards?
First, careful purchase of nuts. Consumers are advised to choose a formal place, buy products produced by formal enterprises, and avoid buying expired food. Try to buy sealed packages of nuts, and choose the right size package, buy as needed.
When buying bulk nuts, pay attention to the shape of the nuts and flesh form, select the nuts full, uniform particles, no mold, no traces of insect damage.
Second, reasonable storage of nuts. It is best to eat now and buy now, nuts should be eaten as soon as possible after opening the bag. If you do not eat, should be sealed and kept in a cool, dry place to avoid moisture.
Third, do not eat moldy nuts. Before consumption, if the nut surface is found to have a filamentous, fluffy material, or more obvious mold, please do not eat.
When chewing, find a bitter, musty or spicy taste, spit it out as soon as possible and rinse your mouth in time.
