Moldy Portobello Mushrooms - Safe?

As a huge fan of sausage stuffed mushrooms I usually pick up a bunch of portobellos at the store and make a few batches here and there. I store them in a paper bag as I've heard you are supposed to.

My last three mushrooms have been sitting around less than a week, probably 4-5 days, and one of them had some white fluffy mold on top. Other than that, they aren't any different, they aren't slimy or foul smelling, they are still firm and in good condition, just a little mold on there.

So is there any serious dangers of eating mushroom mold? Obviously a mushroom is a fungus, but not all mold/fungus is safe, and I've never heard of mold on a mushroom before. The mold wipes off easily and doesn't seem to have affected the mushroom at all.

Any ideas/info are welcome! Obviously these will be cooked well before being eaten, but cooking doesn't get rid of toxins which is what I'm worried about. Plus I forgot to wash my hands after examining the mushrooms and have been smoking cigs, I'm all paranoid I inhaled a bunch of mold spores while doing so.

Feel free to put my mind at ease or terrify me!

Don't be worried about touching it and then smoking the cigarette. Mold grows everywhere, and if you go outside at all you'll be exposed to a variety of mold spores on a daily basis. It becomes a problem when huge swathes of mold are growing inside your house and you are getting constant exposure. As for the mold on the mushroom, so long as the mushroom isn't rotting, couldn't you just cut the part with mold off? I've been doing that for years with bread that has moldy crust, and I'm no worse for wear.

originally posted by: SpongeBeard
Don't be worried about touching it and then smoking the cigarette. Mold grows everywhere, and if you go outside at all you'll be exposed to a variety of mold spores on a daily basis. It becomes a problem when huge swathes of mold are growing inside your house and you are getting constant exposure. As for the mold on the mushroom, so long as the mushroom isn't rotting, couldn't you just cut the part with mold off? I've been doing that for years with bread that has moldy crust, and I'm no worse for wear.

The smoking thing was more just ridiculous paranoia than anything else, I had a fungal infection/whatever in my sinuses one time and it was just terrible, and took forever to get rid of. Since then I've been scared about such things.

I wouldn't even need to cut the mold off, it's on the surface of the cap and wipes right off. I'm wondering if the mold is growing from leftover soil/something on the cap and not from the mushroom itself since there seems to be no effect whatsoever to the mushroom.

I'm going to make them later today (anyone want food porn pics?) if I never come back to ATS you'll know I died from fungus fungus!

I wouldn't eat them if it is mold...smell it. Sometimes mushrooms sort of get oxidized when they get older, that is normal. Mold has a distinct smell, oxidation smells like mushroom. I have seen moldy mushrooms. I wonder how they would get moldy, the mushrooms defense system would protect against mold I would think. I've never seen moldy mushrooms in the woods. They rot other ways though.

If mold is on a piece of food visibly it is already throughout the entire thing. Do not eat them

a reply to: James1982

If you were used to eating food that has the mold lopped off I'd say go for it but it also depends on the food.

I've cut mold of cheese before and been fine.

I wouldn't mess with mushrooms though. They don't have a long shelf life in the first place.

I've cut mold off hard cheese.
And small overripe areas from fruits and vegetables.

But, if a mushroom shows signs of decay/decomposition...I'd pitch it.
FWIW....I've seen portobellos in bad shape in stores that sell them in airtight plastic wrap....I'm now leery of buying produce at this store.