Report Part B UPP004 Knowledge in the Sciences

Word count: 1500 words (+or-10%)

Weighting: 35%

Student Name: Gordon Sinsua Student Number:34716027

Tutor Name: Zablon
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1. Abstract
 Accurately summarizes background, aim or hypothesis, main method, main results and
significance of the study.
2. Introduction
 The introduction has been revised in line with the feedback provided on the first draft
(Report Part A submission)
 Quality of the revised submission
3. Methods
 The methods have been revised in line with the feedback provided on the first draft (Report
Part A submission)
 Quality of the revised submission
4. Results
 Accurate results that summarise the data without any analysis/interpretation
 Written description of results [with reference to figures/tables]
 Appropriate figures/tables, correctly labelled
 Raw data has not been included and is instead placed in an Appendix, as appropriate
5. Discussion
 Restates and evaluates hypothesis in light of findings
 Compares and contrasts findings to other published studies/research
 Discusses the reservations and limitations of the study
 Discusses implications/significance and directions for future research
6. Referencing
 Uses appropriate academic sources (minimum of five)
 Accurately referenced sources are paraphrased and integrated in the text
  In-text reference(s) and Reference List styled according to APA 7th edition
 Referencing has been revised in line with feedback provided on the first draft (Part A)
7. Writing and editing
 Uses academic tone, sentence structure and adherence to report writing conventions and
tenses
 Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation
Comments from Tutor Total
/100
Insert your report here. Be sure to include a title and use the correct subheadings in your report.

Mold Growth on Bread: A Temperature

Analysis
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between temperature and mold growth on bread, a common
staple. This involved a controlled experiment whereby slices of commercially available white bread were
exposed to three temperature conditions, Cool (5°C), Room (20-25°C), and Warm (30-35°C) over the ten-
day period. Very slight growth of the mold at cooler temperatures, some noticeable growth by day three at
room temperatures and rapid proliferation at warmer temperatures within the first twenty-four hours. In
conclusion, it can be restated that temperature exerts powerful and significant effects over mold growth rates
having serious implications to preservation and storage of bread. Drawing from the results, several
guidelines for storing bread optimally have been indicated to reduce the problem of mold, especially as it
arises from warmer temperatures. As much as the design of the experiment is controlled, it builds a stepping
stone for proper observation of events and so findings can be relevant to a large variety of parties including
consumers and policymakers.

Introduction:
Bread as being the staple food consumes by millions all over the world. Being organic kind of product
remains vulnerable to mold as well as other microbial growth. Understanding all those factors which can
influence the extent of mold growth on bread can enlighten in its prevention, and hence for the extension of
shelf life of bread to reduce the wastage of bread. Temperature is one. This paper examines the relationship
between the rate of growth of mold on bread as a food article under differential temperature conditions, and
its findings will be highly useful to consumers, bakers, and policymakers.

Mold growth has been linked to increased odds of health risks as well as economic implications to the
population. There is a need to establish the various environmental factors contributing to this growth. One of
the contributory factors would be temperature. Various studies reveal that mold grows at dissimilar rates in
different temperature bands. This research adds on to the past knowledge by extensively analyzing mold
growth on bread, a globally consumed staple food, at temperature conditions.

Methods:

Research Design:
The research was designed in the form of a controlled experiment so that all but one variable, namely
temperature was kept constant. It is this design which made it possible to isolate the effect of temperature
from other factors and assess its actual role in the growth of mold. The systematic procedure followed
allowed the results obtained to be labeled as dependable and valid.

Sampling and Data Collection:

This was a well-orchestrated experimental design. The loaf was procured under the same loaf of a
commercially procured pack of white bread standardized amongst the different samples for this trial set up.
Each slice was bagged with its individual air-tight batch to maintain integrity. The advanced temperature-
controlled cubicles also held ranges of temperatures within desire.

Temperature conditions were slated to remain relevant towards the real world:
1. Cool (5°C): As refrigerated standard.
2. Room (20-25°C): Most common interior household temperatures.
3. Warm (30-35°C): Like heatwaves or areas absent of regular air conditioning.

It has been consistently recorded as systematic daily digital photographs using a high-resolution camera.
Since the images of the subject will be the visual record, it needs to be highly required for quantitative
analysis.

Results:
Map the mold colony patterns, quantify and analyze using software for image processing, mainly designed
for biological research. Determining the validation of results was based on statistical analysis.

This research integrated qualitative visual assessments with quantitative methodologies, where the analytical
approach employed was analytical. Specialized image processing software ensured correct mapping of
patterns of mold growth was done to ensure that the resulting data was reliable enough for analysis purposes.
The process was also repeated several times for statistical robustness, and results were also aggregated.
Bread is a universally staple food and was selected because there is established consumption pattern and also
the susceptibility to rotting by molds. The bread was of one type and source to eliminate any possible
variations of growth due to bread composition.

Results:
The mold growth pattern developed according to distinct temperature conditions of the ten-day observation
period.

1. **Cool (5°C) **:

On day ten one of the bread samples is slightly discolored depicting the initiation of mold growth (Refer to
Figure 1a).

2. **Room (20-25°C) **:

On the third day, the growth of mold was already apparent. At the end of the observation period, about 40%
of the surface of the tested slice showed the presence of mold (Refer to Figure 1b).

3. **Warm (30-35°C) **:

By the end of day 1, there was some growth on the tip of the slice consisting mostly of molds. On day seven,
a moldy cover had developed covering the bread (see Fig. 1c).

Detailing the mold coverage in terms of surface area coverage and mold density can be identified from
Table 1.

Further measurement of the mold growth was found on Table 1 looking at surface area coverage and mold
density.

More raw data collected throughout the experiment can be found in Appendix A.

Conclusion

This tests findings help guide the consumer on relations between temperature and growth of molds in bread.
This study is inputting a focus on the relation of environment which by far temperature basically contributes
to the growth rates of molds. The controlled comparative nature of the experiment with temperature as the
only variant factor makes the discoveries very reliable in terms of the implications and results.

For example, at cooler temperatures that would probably be like a refrigerated scenario, no growths of molds
were witnessed if not just minimal. This for example would point out that bread lasted more time in a fridge
without losing its freshness. However, worth noting is the fact that consistent global refrigeration ensures
equal access. In most of the regions with economic challenge or infrastructural constraint regions,
refrigeration might be a luxury in most of the regions.

On a major concern, was the fact that mold growth was at warm and/or room temperatures. The latter depict
the conditions that may subject most of the worldwide populations. In particular, rapid growth of molds
under higher temperatures points towards possible struggles with global warming and the climatic
differences. As temperatures rise, the risk of food spoilage, particularly for staples like bread, becomes a
pressing concern.

From a health perspective, mild life-threatening can be developed from consuming moldy bread. The
economic perspective is not any less important. Households discarding moldy bread suffer economic stress,
and in the macro level, it adds to more issues of global food waste.

In conclusion, this study is a clarion call to the multiple stakeholders. For consumers, it indicates an
inclination towards proper storage of bread that accords to the temperatures experienced. The implications
of the findings will be for the policy makers and the food industry in their innovation efforts towards finding
ways whether packaging or storage, or even reformulating bread in order to mitigate the challenges that have
been experienced because of mold. This research is, therefore, essential at this point when the global
community has been grappling with food security issues as it provides actionable insights that are essential
in contributing to a safer, healthier and sustainable food supply chain. In this way, we will help reduce the
food waste to be disposed of through dealing with molds on bread and hence eliminate public health
problems related to moldy foods.

The findings also underscore broader societal implications of growth of molds, especially in regions
grappling with challenges of food scarcity. As global temperatures continue to warm and as regions
experience more frequent and intense heat waves, the challenge of addressing the problem of food spoilage
becomes paramount. This research forms a foundation for further studies and interventions undertaken to
address such pertinent challenges.

Recommendations
1. **Consumer Education**: Breads to be kept at a cooler temperature controlling development of mold
over time and consumers have to be educated accordingly on this particular aspect. Drafting awareness
campaigns with the cooperation of supermarkets, community centers, schools, simple ways of
communication help initiate ideas among the customers.

2. **Novel Packaging**: The sector must go in for such novel packaging solutions which are either anti-
fungal or else have some sort of indicators to intimate the consumer when mold has started growing on the
bread. This would help in ensuring no bread gets consumed with low-level, initial growth of mold which
may still not be visible from outside.

3. **Formulation of Bread:** The bread manufacturer should exploit formulation that will sustain natural
preservatives or ingredients that required a decrease in the speed of the mold grow process without mostly
affecting the first taste, nutrition, and texture of bread also.

**4. Infrastructure Investment**: Another alternative that could be considered would be the investment in
communal refrigeration units or even instead finding a way to invest in building bread storage facilities
where consistent refrigeration is not available in every housing unit. Such an opportunity would allow
communities to steadily be able to supply fresh bread for a longer shelf life - meaning less health risks, and
certainly economic waste to some degree.

5. **Climate-Smart Agriculture**: With the growing concern for global warming, agriculture that can
withstand changing climatic conditions is much needed. The research on heat-resistant wheat strains
provides promising ways of ensuring continued availability of bread even in warmer climates.
6. **Policy Frameworks**: Policymakers must design policy frameworks, which incentivize the food
industry to take on mold growth challenges proactively. Be it by tax breaks for research, subsidies for
innovative packaging solutions, or grants for community storage facilities, there's a myriad of policy tools
that can be harnessed.

Identifying and addressing these challenges of mold growth on bread while taking the recommendations into
account would be also in line with broader global goals of ensuring that all people are food secure, healthy
and have sustainable environments.

Other approaches that may be looked at comprise bread banks, which are community-based bread storage
initiatives through temperature-controlled facilities for possible longevity. This approach in specific helps to
keep check on mold growth and also promotes bonding within community for greater sustainability as well.
Last but not the least is an aspect of globalization vis-à-vis international networking amongst like-minded
people across the globe on larger platter of knowledge-sharing amongst themselves and from secondary
resources, which shall further multiply results with enhanced efficiencies as well as reach.

Reference List
1. Pitt, J.I., & Hocking, A.D. (2009). Fungi and Food Spoilage (3rd ed.). Springer.

2. Magan, N., & Aldred, D. (2007). Post-harvest control strategies: Minimizing mycotoxins in the food
chain. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 119(1-2), 131-139.

3. Stratford, M. (2006). Food and Beverage Mycology. Springer.

4.Samson, R.A., Hoekstra, E.S., & Frisvad, J.C. (2004). Introduction to Food- and Airborne Fungi.
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS).

5.Klich, M.A. (2007). Aspergillus flavus: The major producer of aflatoxin. Molecular Plant Pathology, 8(6),
713-722
Appendix A: Raw Data
The raw data from the ten day observation period tabulated in detail is showing mold growth under
observation for different temperature conditions as below.
Figure 1: Mold Growth on Bread over 10 Days under different temperature conditions.
Table 1: Quantification of Mold Growth over 10 Day.