Aspergillus Black Mold on Onions – What Should Be Done With Them?
This black mold belongs to the genus Aspergillus of fungi and is known as the Aspergillus black mold. If your fingers come in contact with it, a good washing with soap and water will do the trick. However, onions carrying this mold are often bruised or damaged even up to their very core, so to be safe, you should simply throw away those that are contaminated. Aspergillus black mold in onions grows in warm climates such as the farms in the southern states. Farmers and quality inspectors rarely know about this type of mold growth as it is hidden between the onion’s skins, and sometimes there are no visible signs of damage from the outside. Although mold is known to proliferate in humid conditions, Aspergillus in onions have also been common in extremely hot desert-like places where onions are cultivated. A. niger is less likely to cause human illnesses than other Aspergillus species, but it has been found to produce an illness known as aspergillosis when large amounts of its spores are i