Can one become ill from consuming food smoked with wood that contains a common fungus?
If someone used common wood (oak, hickory, etc) from the woodpile, which had been sitting in the rain and weather for some moderate time and, consequently, may be harboring some common fungi, could the smoke from such wood, deposited on food, cause illness?
Best Answer
The first thing I would suggest is finding a copy of "Food and Beverage Mycology, 2nd. Edition" by Larry R. Beuchat. There are two chapters that are directly pertinent to your question: "field and storage fungi" (p211-232) and "mycotoxins" (p517-570). However, in order to specifically answer the question, one would need to be familiar with three additional chapters: 50 pages of classification of yeast and molds at the beginning of the book, and two equally substantial chapters on detection of mycotoxins and fungi.
Without identifying the exact species of fungus on the wood, and therefore what particular toxins it may produce (many produce toxins that are harmful to us, some produce ones that are only harmful to other fungi), it is impossible to say that it is safe to smoke with this wood. Some of the toxins may be degraded by heat, some may become even more hazardous. Even with all of my equipment in my "kitchen lab" (including an incubator that I use for growing edible fungi), I would just use the mold-covered wood for a nice fire around which my neighbors could gather and share some barbecue smoked on clean, dry wood (scientific studies show that soaking wood does not actually do anything but get the very outside layer wet).
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Can you smoke meat with wood that has mold on it?
Learn why moldy hardwood is unfit for cooking and smoking food. Do not GRILL WITH MOLDY WOOD!Is smoking wood safe?
Wood smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, likely including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that cause COVID-19.Can you cook over any wood?
Knowing the type of wood needed to cook your meat is important. Dried hardwoods, fruitwoods, and nut woods, are the best for cooking. Softwoods such as pine, redwood, fir, cedar and cypress are not ideal for cooking because they contain terpenes and sap. This gives the meat a bad flavor.Why does smoked meat make me sick?
Smoked meat is linked to several bacteria. For instance, it might be contaminated with Listeria or Clostridium botulinum, resulting in a foodborne illness. Clostridium botulinum can also cause extreme vomiting, slurred speech, muscle weakness, and double vision.Wood Smoke Exposure \u0026 Your Health
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