Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Good things to know »   Molds and mycotoxins  » Alternaria

Alternaria

Also called as soot mold, this bacterium causes pears, citrus fruits, and apples, etc., to putrefy, and gathers on watery foods such as boiled udon noodle.  It forms somewhat fluffy colonies of gray to black colors.  It is distributed within soil, air, dust, plants, cereals, etc., and is nortorious as a plant pathogenic microbe and an allergen.

Representative strains:

Alternaria alternata (A.alternata)
Alternaria alternata1
Alternaria alternata gathering on melon
Alternaria alternata2

Photomicrograph of Alternaria alternata

▲Page top


Bureau of Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo


Copyright © Bureau of Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government. All rights reserved.