Moldy bread – what now?

Moldy fruit, moldy  yoghurt  – with these products, the decision to throw them away was made quickly. But does that also apply to moldy  bread ? Some hesitate to throw away bread at the first sign of mold and generously cut out the affected area. Others take the slightest green-bluish tinge as an opportunity to throw the whole bread in the dustbin. Throw away or cut out – that is the question. In addition, there is also the possibility to buy bread that has been preserved by various methods.

Preservation and pasteurization of bread

Certain  types of bread  (e.g. rye bread, sliced ​​bread, packaged pre-baked bread) may be preserved with sorbic acid, propionic acid or their salts to protect against mould. This process has now been replaced by pasteurization. It is generally known for preserving  milk . Pasteurization kills most heat-sensitive microorganisms (e.g. yeasts, moulds).

But even pasteurized  foods  are not germ-free, but only low in germs and therefore only have a limited shelf life. When bread is pasteurized, the packaged product is heated to around 70 degrees Celsius for 15 to 30 minutes and may then be labeled “no preservatives” or “not chemically preserved”.

10 tips for storing bread

1. Bread does not belong in the fridge, but should be kept at room temperature, preferably in a bread bin, bread box or linen bag. Plastic bags and plastic jars seal bread from the air and are unsuitable.
2. The type of bread, but also the baking process, determine how quickly bread starts to go moldy. Breads with the addition of sourdough or dough leavening agents such as rye and mixed rye bread keep best. Wheat bread, on the other hand, has a poor shelf life.
3. Especially in summer, only buy as much bread as you actually need.
4. Dry, airy and not too warm – that’s how bread likes it best.
5. Leave the sliced ​​bread in its packaging and only remove as many slices as you will actually eat.
6. Breadcrumbs lying around and moisture encourage mold growth. Clean your bread container regularly (e.g. with vinegar water) and dry it well.
7. In warm, humid  weather  , you can also store your bread in the refrigerator. It gets stale faster there, but molds less quickly.
8. Bread also freezes well. You can keep it frozen for one to three months. Why not freeze the sliced ​​bread – this way you can remove individual slices and quickly defrost them in the toaster.
9. One way to bring some  flavor  and softness back to stale bread is to bake it. The heat releases the aromatic substances again.
10. Bread likes to take on foreign smells, so you should always store it separately.

Throw away or cut out bread?

The toxic substances in mold can damage the liver and kidneys after consumption. The toxin aflatoxin, for example, causes severe liver damage and has a cancer-promoting effect.

The dangerous thing about moldy bread is that the mold spreads not only visibly on the surface but also invisibly inside the bread. It is therefore advisable to throw the bread away completely.

With sliced ​​bread, which molds faster than bread in one piece, it is often advised to discard a few slices in front of and behind the affected area as well. Here, too, it is safer to dispose of all the bread.