Moulds are fungi composed of many cells. Most of them have a thread-like structure, live on plant or animal material and thrive in a warm, humid conditions.
Under a microscope they look like narrow mushrooms, with root threads which can extend very deeply into the food, and a stalk rising above the food.
The presence of mould has a major impact on the quality of grain for example. Nobody wants to eat mouldy food. Mould-contaminated grain is often discarded, is certainly difficult to sell, and will either cause grain to be rejected or at best downgraded with a loss in value.
However, mouldy grain is usually retained for brewing beer or is fed to livestock.
Mouldy food
