What is this on my heating element!?? (LFT114)

Hello again. since my previous DIY repair...
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=266552&start=0&highlight=
and when I fixed it I found that the heating element was looking like the pics here. What could be the problem? Is it something that could burn my pcb again? Havent used the m/c yet coz I am afraid if this can cause any trouble again or my previous problem with the pcb was just a matter of power supply. What do you think?

it looks like rust to me (that is a casing, not a heating element)

it is typical of where a long-term leak has first corroded through the thin zinc protective coating, then continued to eat through the steel case.

I presume we are looking at the bottom of the machine, so this is probably water leaking or dripping from above and running round to the underside of what might be a pump casing.

see if you can trace where the leak is coming from. Once you have sealed it, you can rub off and use anti-rust chemical and repaint the damaged section.

If it is not rust, them it might be food debris from a leak, or, just possibly, it might be melted grease.