Mold is a fungal plaque that has a different structure and color. It usually develops on food. The numerous cells that collect in threads - this is exactly the composition of the mold. Very often it appears on bread, it happens that people continue to eat it, only by removing the infected area. This should not be done categorically, since the threads of mold hidden from the naked eye also spread inside the seemingly harmless bread.
The process of mold contamination of bread
Mold and the spores it produces are everywhere. They contaminate bread during transportation - through polluted air, vehicles, as well as the hands and outer clothing of personnel. Bread affected by spores is placed at home in a closed bread bin, often directly in a plastic bag, without even realizing that they create an ideal microclimate for mold growth.
Russian scientists have confirmed that the urban air contains much more hazardous molds than the maximum permissible concentration.
Mold growth
Mold on bread can be seen if the storage regime is not observed: high temperature (25 ° C - 40 ° C) and air humidity over 70%. The process of mold development is caused by filamentous fungi - "aspergillus", "penicilli" and "mucorous". First, they spread over the surface of the bread, and then they affect the crumb.
Fungi filaments penetrate all the space in their path and destroy it with secreted enzymes. Under their action, hydrolysis of proteins, fats and starch occurs. It is the products of these reactions that give the unpleasant smell and taste to the bread. Mold spores can form "mycotoxins" that are very harmful to human health. Therefore, moldy bread is not edible.
Mold spreads very quickly, although it itself is not dangerous. The harm is concentrated in the spores secreted by it, which people inhale with the air. When mold spores enter the circulatory and respiratory systems of a person, he gets sick.
Scientific experiments have shown that mold contains a large number of allergenic, toxic and carcinogenic compounds that, when accumulated in the body, damage the liver and kidneys.
Mold prevention
To maintain health, it is necessary to control the shelf life of products, not to allow them to be eaten if mold appears. It is recommended to put a salt shaker in the bread bin and periodically replace the moistened salt in it with dry salt.
To keep the bread for a week, you can put 3-5 drops of "iodine" on a cotton swab and put it in a container, covering it with a small amount of cotton wool on top, and put it in a bread bin. Vapors of "iodine" create an atmosphere unsuitable for mold growth without affecting the taste of the bread.
It is necessary to monitor the humidity in the room and, if necessary, use dehumidifiers or an air conditioner. Where there is sufficient air circulation, mold is inactive, therefore it is necessary to periodically ventilate the room.
