What Is Mold?

Molds are microscopic fungi which can live on plant and animal. Although how many variety of mold exist in the world isn’t known, it is expected that ten thousand. Generally, molds have filamentous pattern and form spor. These spors are transformed by air, water and insects.

As a difference from unicellular bacteria, molds form multi-cellular structures, even they can be seen by naked eye. The structure of the mold includes micelles, stem and spor.

Spors give the color of the mold. Mold can penetrate the inside of the food easily by its micelles. There is a big probability that moldy foods also contain bacteria.

Are Foods Dangerous?

Yes, some molds causes allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Some of them produce toxic materials which are named “mycotoxin”.

Are Molds Only Exist On Food Surfaces?

No,people only see the surface part. But if there is mold grown in food,  micelles penetrate the inside of the food. If mold produce mycotoxin, toxin generally exist in and around micelles. In some cases, toxin may spread whole food.

Where Do Molds Exist?

Molds exist almost everywhere, during every season. Temperature and humidity accelerate mold growth. Molds exist in dark, humid.  In unsuitable conditions molds spread as spor, in optimum conditions they multiply.

Which Molds Exist In Food?

The molds, which exist in meat and poultry , are; Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Monilia, Manoscus, Mortierella, Mucor, Neurospora, Oidium, Oosproa, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Thamnidium. These are also exist in many kinds of foods.

Researches from Taiwan National University and USA Arkansas University showed that programs whose aim is decreasing the number of obese children will be more successful, if they try to make children happy.

Researches used data, which had been obtained from the health search of 2366 children between 2 and 12 years old, to examine the fast-food consumption, body weight and happiness level.

It was found that one forth children were obese or overweight, but only 19% of  them were rarely sad or unhappy.

It was reported that fast-foods include chips, pizza, hamburger and fizzy drinks. The children who consume fast-food are more obese and have more risk to be obese, but they are more happy.

There is not enough evidence that the organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally grown foods, although several studies have been done about it.

The new study carried out about organically produced apples by Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food in Karlsruhe. They compared the antioxidant and polyphenol content of the both organic and conventionally grown Golden Delicious apples during over three years, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Their findings showed that in 2005 and 2006, organic apples had 15 %  higher amount of antioxidant than conventionally produced apples. Also in 2005, organic apples had more polyphenol.

The organically grown apples included 10 % higher amount of  phytochemicals than conventionally produced apples.
Phytochemicals are chemicals which are produced by plants and they are beneficial to human health.