Before and after the Qingming Festival each year, it is often drizzly and rainy. In such a humid environment, sugarcane is prone to mold.
Fresh sugarcane is quite firm, with a milky-white core. The core of spoiled sugarcane turns red and may sometimes show visible mold spots, making it inedible. If you buy a whole sugarcane to take home without peeling and cutting it, and then eat it after some time, you are more likely to consume moldy sugarcane.
Moldy sugarcane produces a neurotoxin, and less than 0.5 grams can cause poisoning. Once the toxin enters the human body, it is rapidly absorbed and can cause widespread damage to the central nervous system in a short period. Mild poisoning symptoms include vomiting and abdominal pain, while severe cases can lead to deep coma and often result in serious long-term neurological sequelae.
The harvesting season for sugarcane is primarily concentrated from November to March of the following year. Spoilage mainly occurs after harvesting due to long storage periods, combined with improper storage and transportation methods, which can easily promote mold growth.
Some unscrupulous vendors use moldy sugarcane to make juice, so it is advisable to limit consumption of sugarcane juice sold on the roadside.