Do different types of bread mold at different rates when saturated WITH WATER?

1. Do different types of bread mold at different rates when saturated WITH WATER? By ReNee, Lisa, Meaghan and Elizabeth

2. QUESTION AND PREDICTION • QUESTION: Do different types of bread mold at different rates when saturated with water? • PREDICTION: We thought that the doughnut would mold the fastest due to the amount of sugar and oil it contains. We thought that the English muffin would mold the slowest because it was had less moisture in it to begin with.

3. Materials • We used six different types of bread • 7 Grain • Sourdough • Doughnut • White Preservative-Free Bread • English Muffin Whole-Grain • Bagel Cinnamon Crunch • Petri Dish • Water • Notebooks • Transparency Graph • Adhesive Tape

4. VARIABLES • Constant Variables • Light • Air • Water • Temperature • Independent Variable • Different Types of Bread • Dependent Variable • Rate of Mold Growth

5. PROCEDURE • Step 1: Gather the six different types of bread (keep the original white bread from the previous experiment to ensure all conditions are the same) • Step 2: Cut slices to fit the size of each graph which will lay on top of each dish. Then place each slice of bread into a different Petri-dish • Step 3: Dampen each slice of bread with three even sprays from the spray bottle • Step 4: Seal each Petri dish with adhesive tape with transparent graph centered on top of each lid • Step 5: Create chart to record data, see next slide for example • Step 6: For the next three weeks, on Mondays and Wednesdays, record the number of squares on the transparency that the mold covers

6. EXAMPLE OF DATA CHART FROM SCIENTIFIC NOTEBOOK

7. MOLD DATA

8. Mold growth data

9. Mold Pictures White English Muffin Sourdough 7-Grain Doughnut Bagel

10. Our Conclusion • We have found that the different types of bread, when saturated with water, do not influence the mold growth, however, the presence of preservatives influences how quickly the bread molds • The 7 Grain and the White Bread were preservative free and they molded quickly and fiercely • The English Muffin, Doughnut, Sourdough, and Bagel contained preservatives and molded slowly if at all

11. Support for Conclusion • Dr. Fred Stein, consulting educator for greatschools.org states that, “Preservative-free bread is a wonderful medium for producing mold, which grows from spores (the mold equivalent of plant seeds) that are already present on the bread.” http://www.greatschools.org/students/activities/make-a-bread-mold-garden.gs?content=148 • Diane Helmuth, Douglas County Extension Specialist for Food and Nutrition states in her article, “Preservative Free Bread Needs Refrigeration” To see her article go to: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19800416&id=LKgyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R-cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4399,2899937

12. Support for Conclusions Continued • “There are two general approaches that can be taken to reduce mold growth on bread. Reduced water activity and chemical preservatives,” says Ed O’Neil, Microbiologist from the MADSCI Network. www.madsci.org