Bread: how many people crave a fragrant, crunchy and golden crust? The “dress” of a beautiful loaf of bread, the one that most attracts us at the time of purchase, undoubtedly plays its part and makes us choose one piece rather than another. But be careful, the crust of the bread should be eaten in moderation and, if there is a bit of mold inside, it is better not to use it for food. Why?
The experts from Crea, the Council for research in agriculture and analysis of agricultural economics, explain it to us who in a study highlight the chemical reaction caused above all by the crust which has components that are not very pleasant for the organism and can also speed up the aging of the cells.
Under attack are the Maillard reaction, which takes its name from the French chemist who studied the reactions of sugars and proteins during cooking at temperatures above 160-170 °C, and the famous acrylamide, a chemical substance found mainly in the “burnt” parts of many common starchy foods (such as fried potatoes, cereals, bread, biscuits, rusks, crackers, packaged snacks).
We conducted the test on bread extracts, including crumb and crust
– explains Fabio Nobili, researcher at Crea. Compounds derived from the Maillard reaction generate acrylamide. We have noticed, on a cell culture model, how the cells themselves judge the products resulting from this cooking to be ‘unwelcome’.
This does not mean that bread is an element to be avoided, but that good, good quality bread should be chosen and, why not, even try to make it at home.
The important thing is to consume it in moderation and following the principle of the high quality of the products that were used to make it. This starts with leavening, then moves on to the origin of the flour and the wheat cultivar used. All productions that favor the quality of raw materials rather than quantity are preferable. Knowledge of the production chain route also guarantees the healthiness of the product.
What if the bread has mold?
Better to throw it away. Scientists have proven this by confirming that with soft food it is very easy for mold roots to penetrate deeper.
Molds are a type of mushroom with a stalk with spores on top that form the classic blue-green color seen on food. What doesn’t catch the eye are the underlying roots that invade the foods on which the mold lives. This root network is microscopic, so what looks like “clean” bread may actually already be full of mold. What you need to know is that mold spores are transported everywhere by the air and settle on unprotected or unprepared foods, where they find the ideal terrain to develop.
A bread that you have had in your pantry for two or three days and is still soft, slimy and sticky and with a crumb with a sweetish taste and smell, is best thrown away.
Here you will find all our information on foods with mold that you can eat or not.
