Have you ever taken out a slice of bread to make PB & J in the morning, only to find spots of green and grey fuzz sitting on that slice of bread? Well, those strange-looking spots are actually mold! Mold is formed by tiny, lightweight mold spores that float in the air searching for a victim to land on. These mold spores look for four things within an object or a food source: water, nutrients, air (preferably humid), and a suitable temperature of around 55* - 70* Celsius. Once these four conditions are met, the mold spores settle down and begin to take root, spreading very quickly on the surface and inside of the food by creating more and more mold spores. Before you would even realize it, the patches of mold have already formed. The food would begin to soften and darken in color as it decomposes due to the chemicals produced by the mold. Because of the need for moisture in order to thrive, mold is attracted to organic matters that have a high water content, such as strawberries and blueberries. As organic foods lack preservatives that are usually found in processed foods such as cheese and potato chips, they are further prone to mold contamination.

When you find patches of mold growing on your food, the best decision you could make is to just throw the whole thing away. It may seem like only the surface of the food is contaminated, but in reality, the mold may have already rooted itself deep inside. Usually these microscopic fungi aren’t dangerous to the human body, but consumption of mold may make you feel nauseous and lead to vomiting. In addition, extensive exposure to mold can cause allergy and respiratory symptoms, so make sure to refrigerate and eat your foods before the expiration date.