Fruit mold is not just an eye sore; it is a health hazard of a sector that if not well controlled may lead to the worst. Mold spores are in the air all the time and can easily land on the fruit, now or later depending on the conditions in the fruit storage area, whether warm, humid or both. Since aging fruit causes the formation of mold, ingesting it or inhaling its spores can result in unwellness issues that vary from food allergy to respiratory diseases.
A more specific consideration relating to mold on fruit is whether mycotoxins will be produced. Mycotoxins are poisonous chemical compounds, formed by specific kinds of mold and ingesting them is not safe. It is, therefore, alarming that some mycotoxins are carcinogenic, implying that they may raise the chances of getting cancer, while others may have damaging impacts on the liver, kidneys, or the immune system. Hence, it is imperative to avoid those fruits displaying fuzzy, mold-like formation or color change of the skin because of these toxins.
This is the reason why,people should be careful with moldy fruit since it can lead to food borne diseases. Mold can be found to cultivate such bacterias as Salmonellosis and E.cos, which when they infect the fruit, leads to stomach upsets, fever, etc. Although the visual appearance of the mold might just be on the skin of the fruit, its spores may have grown all the way through the fruit to the center making it to be unfit for consumption.
This paper aims at studying and identifying measures against mold development on fruit and proper methods of storage play an essential role in this process. Some fruits should be stored in cool, dry places with adequate air circulation, others should be placed in closed baskets. One has to understand that mold and refrigeration go well together since the process slows the spores’ growth immensely. Moreover, take care to examine the fruit frequency and eliminate those pieces that started turning around, are damaged, as they get spoiled quickly.
Finally, one has to be very careful with mold on fruit to avoid having any sicknesses, whether light or severe. To ensure that you do not encounter the dangers of mold formation on your fruits; and of course, get to enjoy your fruit as it is, there are several factors that you have to know and control.
