Dealing With Black Bread Mold

Black bread mold gives rise to the growth of all sorts of mold on bread that has been left out in a moist and humid place, such as a shelf, the pantry, or the cupboard. This mold species - Rhizopus stolonifer - feeds on dead organic matter and therefore thrives on the loaf that you may forget in any of these places.

Black bread mold, unlike most large living organisms, does not digest food matter inside its body. It feeds on the mold and changes color - giving rise to the characteristic 'rainbow' appearance we see on old foodstuff. It is initially black or green but transforms into white, orange, or other colors as it goes through the different phases of growth and further germination.

The black bread mold's structure

The morphology of this particular fungus, when examined under a microscope, is similar to a bunch of long threads, also known as mycelia. Mold spores are extremely tiny - with sizes ranging from 2 to 200 micrometers - and are therefore inhalable. Various species of black mold have different-looking mycelia, making each type unique.

Not all types of mold are bad

It's true - there is actually good mold. Cheese, for instance, is in a way made to ferment and thus produce a form of mold. Without this process, cheese won't taste as good as it does.

Another type of mold, Penicillium notatum, was that from which Alexander Fleming developed broad-spectrum antibiotic Penicillin. We all know that penicillin has been proven to treat a wide range of bacterial infections such as cellulitis, gonorrhea, meningitis, pmeumonia, syphilis, septicemia in children, bacterial endocarditis, tonsilitis, and many types of skin infection, to name just a few.

But although these molds are good kinds of mold, there's no discounting the fact that black bread mold can be hazardous to our health, especially for those with histories of allergy or asthma.

Keep it out of your house

This means that you should not have a place for mold to thrive in your home. To do this, the humidity levels in your house should be controlled at all times. Moreover, all sources of leaks should be repaired as soon as possible to keep moisture away from places which sunlight or good ventilation cannot reach.

You'd be surprised at how fast Black Mold can spread! There are bakeries which suffer from heavy losses once their kitchens have been contaminated with black bread mold. Thus, if you suspect an infestation, try to look for the places where they could possibly originate and have it cleaned at once.

As you dispose of bread contaminated with black bread mold, make sure you place it in a plastic bag, careful not to inhale its spores, and seal it well.