Mold and mildew are fungi that are growing in our environment and we cannot avoid coming in contact with them. Most everyone has seen mold on bread or other foods. Mold is almost always in our environment both the inside and outside environments. Mold plays a vital role in helping our environment by breaking down decaying leaves, and other debris. When mold makes its way into our inside environment and starts to grow and multiply this is entirely a different story. Mold growing in your environment is not safe and you should take immediate steps to identify if you have mold and take appropriate actions to have it removed.
Many times we see there is mold growing on the bread or on a block of cheese. It’s a very common for people to cut off that spot, and continue with the remainder, believing that they’ve gotten rid of the effect. Is it really safe? People might think that the little portion of their bread or cream or cheese can be cut away and discarded. What they don’t understand that mold is like an iceberg, there is a lot more than what you are able to see.
Many people think that mold is nothing but a velvety green, brown or black stuff growing on the food. But if we look at mold under a microscope, it looks like a mushroom. Mold actually consists of root thread, which can grow deep inside the food, and it has a poisonous substance in this thread. Many molds can produce poison like mycotoxins and Aflatoxin , which can cause many diseases. Aflatoxin is also a cancer-causing poison. Most of the mycotoxins are not destroyed by cooking.
While most molds prefer warmer temperatures, they can grow at refrigerator temperatures, too. Molds also like salt and sugar better than most other food invaders. Therefore, molds can grow in refrigerated jams and jelly and on cured, salty meats — ham, bacon, and salami. Mold can often grow in the kitchen. Because there is a lot of moisture in kitchen as for example water from running taps and vapor from boiling water. Another reason is there’s always plenty of food in the kitchen for mold to start to grow on.
Precaution: When you see moldy foods avoid sniffing the item. Discard the food by wrapping it with paper or plastic bag and disposing it into covered trash can. Examine food well before you buy it. Check food in glass jars .Clean the refrigerator or kitchen where the food was stored. Try to decrease your kitchen’s humidity by opening kitchen’s door and windows. Exhaust fans help to decrease the humidity caused by cooking. Try to keep humidity level of your home below 50%.
But if you find that you can’t resist your food and have a musty smell in your house or see black spots on your ceiling you should consult a professional mold remover, who can help you to diagnose the problem properly.