1Mold on kimchi can produce cancer-causing toxins, requiring caution.
2Even if you remove the mold, toxins likely spread throughout the kimchi.
3For your health, it is safer to throw away the entire moldy kimchi.
📖 Easy Explanation
🔍 Background
Kimchi is a staple on our tables, but doctors warn it can become poisonous if mold grows due to poor storage. In the past, people washed and ate it to avoid waste, but now it's time to be careful for our health.
📌 Key Points
The white film called 'golmuji' on top of kimchi is non-toxic and safe to wash and eat, but blue, black, or pink mold is very dangerous. These molds release toxins that can cause liver cancer, and removing only the visible parts doesn't eliminate them. This is because the mold's roots may have spread deep into the kimchi.
💡 Why It Matters
Many people wash off the moldy parts and make stew because they feel it's a waste. However, mold toxins do not disappear even when heated, so it's better to throw it away for your family's health. To prevent mold, minimize contact with air when storing kimchi.
📚 Glossary
아플라톡신 (Aflatoxin)A powerful toxin produced by mold, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen that can cause liver cancer.
골무지 (Golmuji)A white film that forms on the surface of kimchi, which is a cluster of yeast, not mold.