Fungi, as we’ve seen, naturally colonize grains, and they fare better than bacteria in low water activity foods. Preservatives can delay that, and there are several used in the bakery industry specifically to delay fungal growth, as anyone in Food Microbiology Lab will see with the Wonder Bread vs. Rustic …

Mushroom poisoning can be serious (poisoning by the deadliest mushrooms, in the genus Amanita, is lethal in 10-30% of cases – worse if liver transplants are not available) but is comparatively rare – you have to eat a poisonous mushroom to be poisoned. Mycotoxin poisoning is more common but actually …