Why Does Mold Keep Growing On My Bread?

11/27/2019 (Permalink)

From bread mold to fridge mold, household fungus is a common frustration

What Causes Bread Mold?

Just about everyone has experienced it: You reach for a slice of bread only to discover your week-old loaf is covered in gross, furry mold. Just why does mold love bread so much? The fact is, mold grows on bread for some of the same reasons why it grows in any other part of your Kansas City, MO, home. Understanding what causes bread mold can offer useful clues to preventing this annoying fungus from taking hold elsewhere in your home.

What is Mold?

Mold is a fungus, an organism that’s not like a normal plant. Where regular plants get nutrition from the sun, mold relies on other plants, animals and organisms to survive. Molds can eat all kinds of organic materials including:

• sugar
  
• dirt
  
• dust
  
  

Unfortunately, just about every material - from wood to plastic - is covered in something mold can eat. But why is bread mold so particularly common?

Spores Everywhere

One reason mold is so prevalent is because it spreads via spores. Lightweight, mobile and present just about everywhere in our environment, spores need only land on a suitable surface to grow. Bread can provide the perfect surface: Even though its dry, bread always contains a little moisture. That combined with its high carbohydrate content creates the perfect incubator for mold.

Stopping Mold

It’s frustrating to encounter mold on bread, especially if it happens often. But it can be prevented. Mold favors warm and damp environments. Minimize the mold risk by keeping your loaf in a dark, dry place. Cooler places, such as a refrigerator, are ideal to keep fungus growth at bay, as are airtight containers.
From bread mold to fridge mold, household fungus is a common frustration. Use the above tips to minimize mold in your bread. And if mold is showing up elsewhere in your kitchen, it may be time to call a mold remediation company for an evaluation.