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Mold
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===Health Concerns===
A small number of molds can produce mycotoxins, which are poisonous substances, or aflatoxins, which are cancer-causing poisons. Some molds that do not produce toxins can still cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems <ref name="usda"></ref>. Their effects can be accumulative, rather than immediately toxic as in the case of pathogenic bacteria. As a general rule of thumb, pigmented molds (non-white/grey) are more likely to produce poisonous substances(especially black mold which could be ''Aspergillus''), however there are exceptions to this rule <ref name="Bryan">[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1288455221182689/?comment_id=1288456047849273&reply_comment_id=1288790517815826&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Conversation with Bryan of Sui Generis Blog on MTF. 04/20/2016.]</ref>.
Identifying mold based on what it looks like is not a reliable way to determine if a mold is a cause of concern for health (need ref). If mold is present in beer, it might be possible for commercial breweries to remove the mold and send it to a lab to check if it is a toxic mold before allowing the beer to be consumed (need ref). Some homebrewers may decide to risk taking a chance that the mold will not cause illness, however we recommend discarding beer that has come into contact with mold, especially if serving to others (mold growing on SOFT fruits and vegetables with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface <ref name="usda"></ref>).