Bread Mold Experiment

Bread Mold Experiment By: Stephanie Westover
PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment will be to determine how temperature affects
the growth of mold on wheat bread.
The researchers choose this topic because she thinks it will be beneficial to
find a way to keep food from molding. Determining how long bread can be
stored before molding can help save money, prevent illness and preserve
freshness. The question the researcher will attempt to answer is how freezing
affects the rate of mold growth in wheat bread.
The information gathered in this experiment may be relevant to those
individuals who contend with food borne molds at home, or professionally.
Because the rate of mold growth can vary depending on the type of bread
tested, the researcher will limit this study to a commonly available variety of
wheat bread that can found in most stores.

This will make the results of this experiment more relevant to average
consumers and it will enable the results to be generalized across a larger
selection of commercially produced wheat breads. Having some
understanding of common practices regarding food storage and mold growth,
the researcher sought out formal studies of food borne mold growth to help
develop my hypothesis.
What the researcher discovered was that food storage at low temperature
slows many of the enzymatic reactions involved in spoilage and reduces the
growth rate of microorganisms. (Microsoft Encarta, 2007) This literature
review shows that refrigeration slows the growth rate of mold. Further, the
article demonstrated that refrigerators should be kept at temperatures 32 to 40
degrees Fahrenheit to minimize bacterial growth. In this procedure the
researcher discovered that refrigeration does indeed slow the growth rate of
mold. Many organisms will not grow at all or will grow at a slower rate if
stored in low temperatures.

While low temperatures are not bactericidal, the low temperatures do slow
the growth rate of bacteria. Although a few microbes will grow in super
cooled solutions as low as minus 20o c, most foods are well-preserved
against microbial growth in the household freezer.
(Todar, Kenneth, 2011) In this article it states that even a household freezer
can preserve foods against growth of mold if set at the right temperature. The
researcher discovered that the zip lock baggie that the freezer in this
experiment did in fact preserve the bread against the growth of mold.
DESIGN
The experiment design will be as follows: The researcher will purchase a loaf
of commercially produced wheat bread and record the rate of mold growth on
that bread over a period of 10 days at three different temperatures. The
researcher will use commercial grade thermometers placed in a standard
refrigerator, freezer and kitchen countertop to measure temperature.

A commercial grade thermometer was used as it is close to the same type
used in a typical restaurant.The researcher will place one piece of bread in a
clear, sealed zip lock bag and put one of those bags in each of the three
temperatures zones. Zip lock baggies were chosen over any other standard
container because it was the best choice to keep out any bacteria that might
give false results.
She will remove each test bag from its controlled temperature zone and
measure the mold growth on each piece of bread through the clear zip lock
bag using a fractional ruler. The researcher will record those measurements in
a logbook noting the time, temperature variation if any, and size of mold
growth in inches. She will then immediately replace the bag back into its
respective temperature zone. The researcher will repeat those measurements
for 10 days and summarize my findings at that time.
The researcher will be using commercially available wheat bread so that the
results of this experiment can be at least partially generalized to all

commercial bread products. She will be using common temperature settings
throughout the experiment to mimic what is found not only in most
households, but also in many commercial food establishments.
Controlling for those 2 factors while maintaining proper and consistent
measurement procedures should provide a repeatable and reliable
understanding of how temperature variations affect mold growth.
Because the researcher will be measuring mold growth on food and because
there is rarely if ever an acceptable level of mold growth on food, absolute
precision in measurement is not necessary. This experiment is designed to
measure the relative growth of mold across temperatures, not the exact level of
mold growth on an individual piece. Therefore, measurement in units of 16th
of an inch using a standard fractional rule should suffice. A fractional ruler
was used because it easier to utilize in measuring the mold than any other
measuring device.
Controlled variables:
-Standard ruler: 6” stainless steel ruler with graduations to the 32nd of an inch.
-Type of bread purchased: Western Family wheat bread.
-Date the bread was purchased: All bread samples will be from the same loaf
purchased the day the experiment begins.
-Size of the bread piece: Each sample is one slice.
-Sterility: Each sample will placed in a sealed bag, preventing the introduction
of extraneous bacteria.
-Moisture: Each sample will placed in a sealed bag, preventing the
introduction of moisture.
-Light: Each bag will be exposed to the same amount of light for the same
duration each day.
-Size of the “Zip Lock” baggies: Each bag will be the same size.
-Testing Actions that were used.
· Use 15 bags-make sure they seal and are from the same brand.
· Clean knife
· Chopping board or cutting surface
· Adhesive labels
· Pen or marker
· Mask
· Gloves
· Notebook
· Pen
· Thermometer
· Ruler
Method(steps)
Use the labels in order to label the bags and use the marker to do so. Mark 5 of
the bags with an “F” for Freezer, mark another 5 bags with “RT” for room
temperature and 5 more bags with “OT” for outside temperature.
· Cut the bread in 10X10 using the copping board and the knife. It is important
that all the squares have the same measurement.

· Introduce each bread slide into the plastic bags and make sure they get
sealed.
· Place the 5 bags labeled as “F” in the freezer, 5 bags labeled “RT” on the
kitchen counter and 5 bags labeled “OT” in open climate(Outside)
· Use the thermometer in order to record the temperature for the three different
types of climates where the bread will be placed.
· Make sure the “RT” bags and “OT” bags are covered with a towel so light
can be a constant factor.
· Check the bags every 24-36 hrs in order to check for mold.
· Average of the pieces of bread with mold can be used to record the daily
results
· Record the mold grow every day in a table using your notebook
· This process should be repeated for 10 days and record the results.
· Measure the results for labels “F”, “RT” and “OT” are documented
accordingly.

Bread Mold Experiment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bread Mold Experiment

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bread Mold Experiment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Bread Mold Experiment By: Stephanie Westover

The purpose of this experiment will be to determine how temperature affects

the growth of mold on wheat bread.

affects the rate of mold growth in wheat bread.

The information gathered in this experiment may be relevant to those

individuals who contend with food borne molds at home, or professionally.

wheat bread that can found in most stores.

consumers and it will enable the results to be generalized across a larger

selection of commercially produced wheat breads. Having some

understanding of common practices regarding food storage and mold growth,

growth rate of microorganisms. (Microsoft Encarta, 2007) This literature

article demonstrated that refrigerators should be kept at temperatures 32 to 40

degrees Fahrenheit to minimize bacterial growth. In this procedure the

stored in low temperatures.

cooled solutions as low as minus 20o c, most foods are well-preserved

against microbial growth in the household freezer.

that bread over a period of 10 days at three different temperatures. The

researcher will use commercial grade thermometers placed in a standard

refrigerator, freezer and kitchen countertop to measure temperature.

used in a typical restaurant.The researcher will place one piece of bread in a

give false results.

respective temperature zone. The researcher will repeat those measurements

for 10 days and summarize my findings at that time.

results of this experiment can be at least partially generalized to all

throughout the experiment to mimic what is found not only in most

households, but also in many commercial food establishments.

Controlling for those 2 factors while maintaining proper and consistent

measurement procedures should provide a repeatable and reliable

understanding of how temperature variations affect mold growth.

there is rarely if ever an acceptable level of mold growth on food, absolute

precision in measurement is not necessary. This experiment is designed to

mold growth on an individual piece. Therefore, measurement in units of 16th

of an inch using a standard fractional rule should suffice. A fractional ruler

-Type of bread purchased: Western Family wheat bread.

purchased the day the experiment begins.

-Size of the bread piece: Each sample is one slice.

-Moisture: Each sample will placed in a sealed bag, preventing the

duration each day.

-Testing Actions that were used.

· Chopping board or cutting surface

temperature and 5 more bags with “OT” for outside temperature.

that all the squares have the same measurement.

kitchen counter and 5 bags labeled “OT” in open climate(Outside)

types of climates where the bread will be placed.

can be a constant factor.

You might also like