Why you can salvage moldy cheese but never spoiled meat − a toxicologist advises on what to watch out for

By Brad Reisfeld, Professor Emeritus of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Public Health, Colorado State University

When you open the refrigerator and find a wedge of cheese flecked with green mold, or a package of chicken that smells faintly sour, it can be tempting to gamble with your stomach rather than waste food.

But the line between harmless fermentation and dangerous spoilage is sharp. Consuming spoiled foods exposes the body to a range of microbial toxins and biochemical by-products, many of which can interfere with essential biological processes. The health effects can vary from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to severe conditions such as liver cancer.

I am a

Read complete article

~	Climate change is making cities hotter. Here’s how planting trees can help

~	How banks affect the environment and the role your money plays in it

~	Why we used to sleep in two segments – and how the modern shift changed our sense of time

~	Renters’ Rights Act becomes law in England – here are six things to do before renting a property privately

~	Celebrity Traitors: why we sweat when we’re nervous – or lying

~	What Belfast’s changing murals can tell us about peace

~	Scary stories for kids: A Series of Unfortunate Events taught me that grief can’t be understood but can be managed

~	Ecoball: how to turn picking up litter into a game for kids

~	Luxury tourism is a risky strategy for African economies – new study of Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda

~	South Africa’s coal mines are leaking methane – and no one knows how much