“Ugh, what a waste. It’s just a tiny bit, so I should probably just eat it.”
When I was young, my grandmother would occasionally eat food even if a little mold was visible on it. She would never give it to her grandchildren; she ate it herself. If that happened today, I would yell, "Grandma, don't eat that!" At the time, I simply thought mold was dirty, never realizing it could cause severe harm to health. My grandmother's inability to enjoy a long, healthy life may have been shaped by small, everyday habits like this. As an adult, I now understand her protective instincts, but I often wish better health information had been available to her sooner.
With muggy weather persisting, safe food storage becomes an urgent priority. Many people assume food is safe as long as it sits in the refrigerator, but items can easily spoil if kept too long, making close attention to expiration dates vital. For instance, storing nuts in the fridge for extended periods can invite hazardous mold growth. Mold forming on peanuts, walnuts, and similar items is exceptionally dangerous because it can produce aflatoxin B1, a potent toxin capable of causing liver cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies aflatoxin B1 as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is a proven cause of cancer in humans. This toxin is produced by Aspergillus mold on spoiled nuts, corn, grains, and dried foods, and is particularly prevalent in hot, humid regions overseas. While South Korean health authorities state that dangerous levels of aflatoxin have not been detected in domestic food supplies, consumers must remain vigilant.
Fungal Penetration and Localized Health Risks
My professional focus on health information has made me hyper-aware of these dangers. Recently, when I spotted mold on peanuts served as a bar snack, I immediately threw them out and warned the staff, who promised to improve their storage practices. Interestingly, not all mold carries this level of danger. The mold that grows on meju (fermented soybean bricks) does not produce aflatoxin at all, rendering traditional doenjang (soybean paste) completely safe—a testament to the historical wisdom of Korean food preservation.
While liver cancer is frequently associated with alcohol consumption, 70% to 80% of cases in South Korea are actually caused by chronic hepatitis B and C, followed by alcoholic hepatitis and fatty liver disease linked to diabetes or obesity. The liver efficiently filters toxins from our food, but excessive toxicity can cause severe organ damage. This risk extends to unverified medicinal herbs gathered from mountains, which can cause sudden liver failure or dangerously interfere with conventional oncology treatments. Patients should always consult their attending physicians before consuming rare or expensive medicinal ingredients.
When mold appears on household food items, the safest recourse is to discard the entire product. Consider tangerines as an example: if mold develops during storage, simply removing the affected section is insufficient. In soft fruits, there is a high probability that fungal hyphae—the fine, threadlike cells of the fungus—have already penetrated deep into the interior. The mold commonly found on tangerines can also trigger severe allergic reactions. Furthermore, because moisture builds up where fruits touch, stacking them together accelerates spoilage. It is far safer to wrap tangerines individually in paper or newspaper and store them loosely in layers.
Preventing Summer Cross-Contamination
Severe heatwaves also heighten the risks associated with prepared foods, such as egg garnishes used in gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) or naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles). A few years ago, a fatal incident occurred when a consumer contracted a Salmonella infection from egg garnish on naengmyeon, ultimately dying from septic shock. This underscores the fact that even thoroughly cooked egg garnish can become re-contaminated if handled improperly afterward. South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety emphasizes that handlers must thoroughly wash their hands after touching raw eggs before preparing other ingredients, and strictly avoid using utensils contaminated with raw egg liquid on cooked items.
An individual can exercise regularly and maintain a meticulous diet, yet still suffer severe health setbacks from a single, casual oversight in the kitchen. Inspecting your refrigerator for old or forgotten food is an essential immediate step. Holding onto spoiled items simply because discarding them feels wasteful can ultimately trigger a far worse health disaster.
