# Bad Mold! Bad! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-mold-bad/227302 "2004-02-03T06:48:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ljut\_strsljen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Ljut\_strsljen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ljut_strsljen)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-mold-bad/227302/1 "2004-02-03T06:48:42Z")
It’s been awhile since i made a strawberry milkshake, and while making one tonight i noticed - after putting in the frozen yogurt and hand-sliced strawberries, of course - a lovely little patch of gray-green mold about half the size of a dime blending in perfectly with the metal milkshake thingy. Wondering if further patches were down beneath the yogurt, i scooped out the strawberries and dumped the rest. What does that mold sound like exactly - how dangerous is the stuff you find on fruit & dairy products? How much would it take to pose a serious threat to a healthy, average guy? If I do my darndest to avoid botulism, undercooked food, & really wash stuff well, what do i REALLY need to worry about? (Food-wise 🙂 ) Cheers! strsljen ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-mold-bad/227302/2 "2004-02-03T07:14:41Z")
Well, some common bread molds secrete proteins called aflatoxins, which are among the most potent carcinogens discovered so far. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-mold-bad/227302/3 "2004-02-03T12:18:56Z")
The common greyish mold often seen growing on moist fruits and esp strawberries is _Botrytis cinerea_ and although it’s best to remove, will not cause illness if ingested in moderate quantity. The mold on the yogurt? I would venture to say the mold was confined to the top of the stuff, but I would throw it all out regardless.