Abstract

Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is to see how different types of bread affect mold
growth. The students wanted to know how mold would grow on white
bread, gluten free bread, and preservative free bread when kept in the
same conditions.

Procedure:
Students will go to the store and purchase different types of bread.
Students will then measure out each piece of bread according to surface
area. Then we will observe the bread and take pictures to track mold
growth.

Conclusion:
After completing the experiment, we hypothesize that the reason we did
not see any growth of mold is because the bread got stale within a few
days after setting it out. This prohibited the growth of mold due to the lack
of moisture in the bread.
 Safety Sheet

Hazardous materials:
-Mold
-Gluten
-Wheat
-Knife
-styrofoam

Precautions:
-We made sure the experiment was isolated to avoid exposing anyone with gluten or
wheat allergies
-Made sure to use knife properly
-Reduced exposure to mold

________________________________________
(Signature of Sponsor)
 How Mold Affects Different Types of Bread

Microbiology

__________________
Signature of Sponsoring Teacher
 
 
 
_______________________________
Signature of School Coordinator
 
 
                                                                           ( Jessah Linden, Austin Phinney, and Caleb Ward)
                                                                                                              1005 Duke Dr.
                                                                                                              York High School  
                                                                                                              York NE, 68467
                                                                                                                 (Grade 12)
Acknowledgements:

A special thanks to the ones who helped make this experiment possible.

Thank you to Scott Kohmetscher and Austin Phinney for providing the materials
necessary for this experiment. Mr. Kohmetscher provided styrofoam plates that were
used to put the bread on. He also provided the marker that was used to label each
plate. Austin Phinney purchased all the bread that was used in the experiment. There
are not very many people that were involved in this experiment, but thank you to the
students that worked on this experiment.
Purpose:
The purpose of this experiment is to show how much mold grows on
different kinds of bread in a standard classroom environment. If bread is
left uneaten for an extended period of time then mold is going to grow on
it. We were curious to see if mold grows better on a specific type of bread.
So we got preservative free bread, white bread, and gluten free bread to
see if mold will grow better on a specific type. We will monitor the bread
over a four week period to determine which type of bread grew the most
mold.

Hypothesis:
We believe that the fresh bread will have the most mold growth. Since this
bread doesn’t have any preservatives, we believe that this will be the bread
that has the most mold. We think that the white bread will have the second
most mold on it because it is like fresh bread, although it has more
preservatives. The gluten free bread will have the least amount of mold.
The texture of the gluten free bread doesn’t feel like the other two. It feels
kind of like a sponge, so we think that it won’t grow as much mold.
Review of Literature:

Article #1:

This article talks about what mold is and how it forms. Mold is sometimes referred to as

mildew. It can both be found inside and outside in all different types of climates in all seasons.

It can be found in many different colors on different products. Mold is commonly found

indoors when there is some type of moisture. Whether that be a leak or water getting trapped

in an enclosed container for a long period of time. There are certain molds that are toxic.

Outdoor molds survive on different plants and decaying organic matter such as dead leaves.

Molds can reproduce by releasing tiny spores that travel through air and can land on different

surfaces. There are certain types of toxic molds that have been found to cause health issues

when being exposed to them.

Article #2:

This article talks about the process of making bread and the important ingredients in bread to

help make it rise. Yeast is the raising agent in bread. Yeast is a mass of living cells that must

have food, warmth, and moisture to multiply. Yeast lives off of flour and sugar in most recipes.

Blood temperature for humans is the correct temperature for yeast to grow. If it gets too hot or

cold this will kill the yeast causing your bread not to rise when you bake it. You also have to

have the right amount of salt when dealing with yeast, too much salt will kill the yeast. It is

rather difficult to find fresh yeast in stores, so commonly bought instead of fresh yeast is dry

yeast and it works just as well.

Article #3:
This article talks about the importance of choosing wheat bread over white bread. Experts

have said to stay away from white bread when choosing bread. White bread is a highly glycemic

food which is just like sugar. White bread raises the percentages of diabetes and heart disease

in most children. It digests a lot faster and causes hunger quicker causing you to eat more. On

the other hand, whole wheat is processed into refined flour. This means its three main

components are separated out. The starchy endosperm ends up as flour and the germ and

bran are separated out and used for something else. This is why whole wheat bread is better

because it is more real.

Article #4:

In this article it talks about the different kinds of fungi and what fungi is. Fungi can either be a

single celled organism, however it can also have multiple cells. They can be found in just about

any habitat, but are mainly found on land, like soils and plants. Some are parasites of plants

causing diseases such as mildews and rusts. Some different kinds of fungi are multicellular

filamentous fungi, macroscopic filamentous fungi, and microscopic yeasts.

Article # 5:

In this article it talks about how to get rid of mold and how to prevent it. Mold can grow in your

heater and air conditioning system. If you suspect mold growing in your systems it is smart to

get a contractor to come clean it. Mold will grow in these different places if there is water that

has gotten into these areas. Cleaning more often and getting ventilation to areas that are

growing mold will help get rid of it. Mold can cause staining and cosmetic issues so it is

important to keep places that get wet in your home dry as well as possible. Mold can make you
sick if you have it growing in your homes. This is why it is important to prevent it as much as

possible.

Article #6:

This article is about mold that grows on and in buildings. There are different sections on how

mold grows in buildings, the conditions for mold to grow, and how mold can affect people.

Mold most commonly grows on damp surfaces, it especially grows on paper products,

cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold mostly grows outside but it can still make its

way inside through open windows or doors. Mold can also attach itself to clothes, shoes, and

pets. Mold can be a health concern to people. It can cause more intense allergic reactions and

asthma attacks. Also the Institute of Medicine found enough evidence to link indoor mold

exposure to upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in healthy people and a

more severe reaction to people who are more at risk of.

Article #7:

This article is about how to control mold and prevent it from spreading. The article has a whole

section about how to prevent mold growth. Some of the main suggestions are keeping the

humidity as low as you can. Humidity is a big factor that goes into how mold grows. They

suggest that you keep humidity levels below 50% at all times. Another thing they suggest is

keeping air flowing freely by using exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms. Replacing carpet

especially when it gets soaked is also important. Mold grows on damp areas so replacing

ruined carpet is important.

Article #8:
This article talks about what mold and mildew is and why it is important in the environment. It

says that mold is a type of fungi. It is a simple microscopic organism that can thrive anywhere

in a moist environment. Mold is also important because it is able to break down some waste on

the ground. For example leaves, without mold and fungi everything on the ground would stay

there forever because nothing is breaking it down.

Article #9:

This article talks about what fungal diseases are. Fungi are everywhere. Some fungi are too

small to see with the naked eye. Fungi can cause problems like asthma or allergies to be more

severe. If you come in contact with certain fungi, it can cause skin infections or rashes. If you

breathe in some of the gasses fungi give off, then lung infections like pneumonia and other

cold and flu-like respiratory symptoms can occur. One of the more intense things that can

happen is fungal meningitis. This is when a fungal infection has spread from somewhere else

in the body to the brain or spinal cord.

Article #10:

This article goes into how wheat is grown and the steps that go into farming wheat. There are

many steps that go into growing wheat, but the main ones are preparing the soil, planting and

growing, and harvesting and sorting. Farmers use different machines that help prepare the soil

to be planted. Most farmers don’t plow their fields anymore, instead they use a grain drill to

plant the seed. Next, wheat is grown usually in the fall and sometimes the winter. When it first

starts growing it can look just like grass but as it grows taller it starts to gain its yellow brown

look as it starts to dry out. Finally the harvesting, farmers have machines that cut the wheat

and gather it for it to be stored away for the season.

Article #11:

This article goes over and explains what mold is and what conditions it needs to grow.

Mold needs a food source for it to survive and bread is a good source for mold. Mold is a fungus

and it requires a food source to survive because it can’t produce its own food like plants do.

Along with food, mold does need water to survive, it takes the water in the bread, it also needs

water to prevent it from drying out when under light or in heat. The article states that mold

does better in a warm environment rather than cold, cold temperatures stop mold from

growing, that’s why it’s not entirely uncommon for people to keep bread in a freezer. For mold

growth to start, mold spores need to find its way to bread, these mold spores can be found

everywhere in the air around us, and as long as conditions are favorable towards mold, it will

continue to grow.

Article #12:

It is possible for mold to grow in light or dark environments but according to the

article, it’s more common for mold to grow in dark environments. Dark environments often

provide the ideal growing conditions for mold but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for it to

grow in light. Mold seems to grow best in a warm humid environment according to the article.

Article #13:

The author in this article claims that bread loses 50 percent of its freshness after two

days. The author says the best way to keep bread fresh and mold free after a couple days is to

store your bread in a cool place and to never leave it uncovered. The author also states that

keeping it inside a plastic bag and wrapping it tightly helps and to avoid opening the bag

frequently.
Article #14:

This mini article states baked breads and rolls can be stored at room temperature for 2

to 4 days or 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. It also says that bread can retain its quality when

stored in the freezer for 3 months. The final piece of the article says that any bread containing

meat or eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours.

Article #15:

While less of an article, this website goes over an experiment very similar to the one my

group is doing in class. This experiment is testing more on how fresh bread stays in different

environments while our experiment focuses more on how mold grows on different kinds of

bread. In the conclusion of this article, it states that salt actually inhibits the growth of mold

while sugar enhances the growth. The article also states that bread with more moisture such as

rye, oat, Boston and other dark breads mold faster.

Moldy Bread Experiment Procedure

1. Students will go the the store and purchase three different types of
bread: gluten free, regular store bought white bread, fresh bakery
bread from the deli
2. The specific brands of bread that will be purchased include: Great
Value white bread, Canyon Bakehouse gluten free bread, and
Freshness Guaranteed English Toasting Sandwich bread.
3. Students will cut the bread so that each sample is the same size in
surface area.
4. Since the bread's surface area isn't the same, the students used the
dimensions of the gluten free bread to determine the surface area of
the other types of bread. The bread is cut into 2.75x2.75 inch squares
with one side having crust and the other three left alone.
5. Students will take measured squares of bread and put them on
labeled paper plates in the back of the classroom on top of a shelf
out of the way of other people to be monitored.
6. Students will take pictures of the moldy bread over a span of 4
weeks, taking pictures on designated project work days.
7. After the 4 weeks, compile each of the pictures and compare how
much mold grew on the bread since the experiment started.

Materials:
● Great Value White Bread
● Freshness Guaranteed English Toasting Sandwich Bread
● Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Bread
● Styrofoam plates
● Writing utensil to label items
● Knife
Week 1:
Fresh (preservative free) bread No mold growth

White bread No mold growth

Gluten free bread No mold growth

Fresh White Gluten Free

Week 2:
Fresh (preservative free) bread No mold growth

White bread No mold growth

Gluten free bread No mold growth

Fresh White Gluten Free

Week 3:
Fresh (preservative free) bread No mold growth

White bread No mold growth

Gluten free bread No mold growth

Fresh White Gluten Free

Week 4:
Fresh (preservative free) bread No mold growth

White bread No mold growth

Gluten free bread No mold growth

Fresh White Gluten Free

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our experiment was not exactly what we expected. We

were anticipating mold to grow on the bread, Although we overlooked the
fact that bread needs moisture for mold to grow. Therefore no mold grew
on the bread. Resulting in our hypothesis to be wrong because we thought
the preservative free bread would grow the most mold. In our case no
bread grew mold, It just became stale and hard. Another thing that could
have caused the bread to not grow mold on it was we put it on top of the
cabinets away from everyone. We think maybe if it was around everyone
and everyday activity this would have caused the bread to not stay as clean
as it did. Being around people and activity would have caused different
kinds of bacteria to get on the bread allowing it to potentially grow mold.
If we were to do this experiment again we would keep on ground level
with everyday activity and put the bread in a bag to help keep the moisture
in the bread.
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