When a part of a fruit is rotten, it feels a pity to throw it away. People usually cut off the rotten part and continue eating the remaining "good" part. But is it really okay to eat the good part after cutting away the rotten part?
If more than one-third of a fruit is rotten, it's best not to eat it!
Relevant studies have shown that in fruits with mold and decay, various microorganisms, especially fungi, continue to multiply. In the process of reproduction, they produce a large amount of toxic substances. These toxic substances can seep from the rotten part into the unspoiled part through the fruit's juices, causing the unspoiled part to also contain microbial metabolites.
When people eat rotten fruit, these mycotoxins can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and abdominal bloating. In severe cases, it can lead to convulsions, coma, and even be life-threatening. Among the toxic substances, patulin poses the greatest threat to human health. It can harm the nervous, respiratory, and urinary systems, and it is also highly carcinogenic. Furthermore, nitrates in fruit can turn into toxic nitrites after decay.
Even if you cut away the rotten part and think you are safe, patulin produced by the mold can still spread to other parts. Therefore, from a health perspective, it's best not to eat rotten fruit. When eating fruit, it's best to choose fresh fruits with tender flesh and bright color. If you encounter fruit with small spots or a small amount of insect damage, it's best to cut out the damaged part, removing at least one centimeter around it.
If the rotten or insect-damaged area exceeds one-third of the fruit, it is recommended to throw it in the trash. Because in rotten fruit, cell damage leads to the loss of many nutrients. From a nutritional perspective, there is no need to eat it.
These two types of fruit should be eaten within a short period
1. Bruised or bumped fruit
Many people might ask, "What about fruit that has cell damage and cell leakage due to mechanical damage? Can we still not eat it?" Most fruits are relatively soft and难免 (inevitably) get bumped or knocked. These purely bruised fruits may be unpleasant to the senses, but if eaten within a short time, these "ugly" fruits will not affect our health.
2. Chilled or frost-damaged fruit
Some people are used to putting fruit in the refrigerator. Over time, these fruits can suffer from low-temperature damage. For example, when a banana is left in the refrigerator for a long time, its peel will turn black. This is because polyphenol oxidase in the banana peel polymerizes natural phenols in the banana into a polyphenol, which is similar to melanin in human skin.
In addition, when the cell membranes of the fruit peel are broken, dopamine is released and reacts with oxygen in the air under the action of oxidase to form a brown substance. Such fruit becomes black and soft and is inedible.
Both frost-damaged and bruised fruits are due to cell damage. If no bacteria have been produced, these "bad" fruits are temporarily safe. However, if the cells are damaged, the amino acids, sugars, and inorganic salts inside them provide a "breeding ground" for pathogenic microorganisms, especially fungi. Fruits invaded by mold are best discarded.
Generally speaking, fruits high in sugar and moisture are most prone to mold. Actually, the simplest way to avoid eating moldy fruit is to buy less (don't buy a whole box when you're the only one eating it) and not keep it for too long. You can choose to have small quantities of a variety of fruits at home.