• Foods with heavy mold growth may have root threads of the fungus throught the food.Maasdam Cheese and cheese with mould image by Galaiko Sergey from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the USDA Food Safety And Inspection Service, there are an estimated 300,000 species of fungi in existence. Mold is one type of fungi that can affect the food we eat. Some types of fungi causes allergic reactions, respiratory problems and or produce mycotoxins, which make people very ill.
  
  

Moist Foods

• Foods that have a high moisture content can grow fungus like mold quickly. High moisture foods stored in the refrigerator also will likely exhibit fungal growth. Examples of foods at an increased risk for developing fungus in the form of molds due to moisture content include casseroles, lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, left over meat, left over poultry, cooked pasta, sour cream and yogurt. Soft fruits and vegetables are also at a high risk of fungal growth. Cucumbers and peaches are two examples of foods that can grow fungus especially quickly. Contamination can occur even below the surface and often have bacteria growing along with the fungus. Accordingly, discard any foods that appear to have fungal growth.
  
  

Acidic Foods

• Fungal growth thrives in highly acidic foods. Some examples of foods that are highly acidic are jams, jellies, fruit, tomatoes and pickles. Acidic foods encourage the growth of mycotoxins, which are poisonous substances produced by certain types of mold and are most prominent in nut and grain crops. However, mycotoxins also thrive on celery, grape juice, produce and apples. The Food And Agriculture Organization, or FAO, of the United Nations states that approximately 25 percent of the world's food crops contain mycotoxins. One way to discourage the growth of fungus that causes this poisonous substance is to heat processed and highly acidic foods such as jams and jellies to a temperature of 212 degrees while processing them at home, which kills the fungi that causes illness.
  
  

No Preservatives

• Foods processed without the use of preservatives are at a high risk of rapid fungal growth. Examples of these foods are peanut butter, nuts and legumes. Bread and baked foods can grow fungus because they are porous. Non-processed foods and porous foods are often contaminated below their surface, making it difficult to determine how much contamination is present. The USDA recommends discarding any foods that have mold or visible fungal growth.