HOW TO PREVENT MOLDS 



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growth of molds. Leather, cloth, paper, or even moist wood will 

 give food enough to support their growth. At least one trouble- 

 some disease, ringworm, is due to the growth of molds in the skin. 

 What mold does to ^ ^• 1 x«_ 



spores Ja|lk sporcer*^***"*- 



foods. Mold usually 

 changes the taste of the 

 material it grows upon, 

 rendering it " musty " 

 and sometimes unfit to 

 eat. Eventually food 

 will be spoiled com- 

 pletely because bacterial 

 decay sets in. Some 

 molds are useful. They 

 give the flavor to Gor- 

 gonzola, Roquefort, 

 Camembert, and Brie 

 cheeses. But, on the 

 whole, molds are pests 

 which the housekeeper 

 wishes to get rid of. 



How to prevent molds. As we have seen, moisture is favorable 

 for the growth of mold; conversely, dryness is unfavorable. 

 Inasmuch as the spores of mold abound in the air, materials which 

 cannot be kept dry should be covered. Jelly, after it is made, 

 should at once be tightly covered with a thin layer of paraffin or 

 waxed paper, which excludes the air and possible mold spores. 

 To prevent molds from attacking fresh fruit, the surface of the 

 fruit should be kept dry and, if possible, each piece of fruit should 

 be wrapped in paper. Why? Mold spores may be killed in a 

 few minutes with dry heat at 212° F. Dry dusting or sweeping 

 will raise dust, which usually contains spores of mold and bacteria. 

 Use a dampened broom or dust cloth frequently in the kitchen, if 

 you wish to preserve foods from molds. 



Life history of bread mold. There may be a sexual 

 stage in the life history (shown in center of diagram) in 

 which the formation of a zygospore results. What value 

 might this be to the mold ? 



Practical Exercise 5. Where may mold spores be found ? What must they 

 have in order to grow ? On what part of foods do molds grow ? How would 

 you prevent mold spores from getting into food ? 



