5 Fun Facts About Moldy Bread

9/13/2018 (Permalink)

Bread mold is a fungus it can grow on your food and cause damages in your Pottsville, PA home or business

It's happened to all of us: you take out a loaf of bread to make a sandwich, only to find that it's covered with fuzzy blue-green stuff. You bought it only a few days ago, but now it's covered in bread mold. So how did it get like that?

1. It's a Fungus

Like all mold, bread mold is a fungus. It belongs to a category of life forms separate from animals and plants, part of the same group as mushrooms. A fungus can be thought of as a type of plant that isn't able to get energy from sunlight, as it contains no chlorophyll. Instead, fungi must derive their nutrients from animal and plant sources.

2. Mold is All Around You

Though they are invisible, there are millions of fungal spores, including bread mold spores, in the air around you all the time. The spores are settling on surfaces all the time, and if they find a food source, they will grow.

3. Mold Can Grow Quickly

Once mold finds something to eat, it can reproduce very quickly. Some types of mold can double in size in an hour!

4. Mold Likes Warmth

Mold can grow on many different food products, but bread provides a wealth of nutrients for it to grow on. Mold is also well-adapted for growing in a warm, moist environment. If you put the bread in a cupboard or breadbox that's warm, you're providing a perfect place for the spores to grow.

5. You Can Prevent Bread from Getting Moldy

Putting your bread in the refrigerator will slow down the growth considerably. Unfortunately, fridge mold will eventually get to the bread, so your best bet is to put the bread in your freezer. Then, you can take out slices of bread as you need them, and either thaw them on the counter, or toast them lightly.

Preventing bread from getting moldy is a pretty easy task, but fungus growth might be a bigger problem than you realize. If you think you have a mold problem in your Pottsville, PA, home, you may want to check with a professional to get an inspection.