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Biological Contamination of Pharmaceuticals: Oh No
Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/12/29/biological-contamination-of-pharmaceuticals.aspx
The original Mercola article may not remain on the original site, but I will endeavor to keep it on this site as long as I deem it to be appropriate.
Analysis by Tessa Lena December 29, 2023
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Biological contamination of pharmaceutical products and hospital-acquired infections are not uncommon but they rarely get the massive attention they deserve
- Pharmaceutical giants regularly recall their products due to contamination — and that is just when they get “caught”
- In 2012, a multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis was linked to contaminated steroid injections; a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts was blamed
- In 2021, David Stonebrook filed a lawsuit, alleging unsanitary conditions at the facilities where they packaged components used in the production of Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines
- Under the “new normal, due to apathy and overall decline, the real-life sanitary standards are getting worse”
Degradation of Standards
Signs of emotional and physical decay are everywhere, especially in the previously glamorous cities like New York. Apathy and indignity come with a decline in basic sanitary standards and hygiene. One would think that obsessive mask wearing would be accompanied by impeccable hygiene — but no. It has been my observation that paradoxically, during the times of “COVID,” business sanitary conditions — imperfect even prior to 2020 — took a major nose dive.
I have seen first-hand a New York pharmacy employee sorting out a pile of new arrivals (reading glasses, etc.) on the dirty aisle floor. I have also witnessed different cashiers at yet another pharmacy clean up the trash cans and then proceed to check out purchases wearing the sane gloves, to the soundtrack of various Pfizer commercials for vaccines.
Methinks that the “microbiome” from New York trash is not exactly what our bodies crave for optimum health — but hey, it’s just me.
Hospital-Acquired Fungal and Other Infections
Hospital-acquired fungal and other infections are not anything new. They have been a major contributor to the iatrogenic harms for years now. According to a paper published in the Journal of Patient Safety ten years ago, in 2013, “a lower limit of 210,000 deaths per year was associated with preventable harm in hospitals.
Given limitations in the search capability of the Global Trigger Tool and the incompleteness of medical records on which the Tool depends, the true number of premature deaths associated with preventable harm to patients was estimated at more than 400,000 per year. Serious harm seems to be 10- to 20-fold more common than lethal harm.”
When a number of hospitals in America were rated by Consumer Reports based on the number of infections they reported, it was found that large teaching hospitals in big cities rated worse than smaller ones.
Here is a curious fact. This now-deleted article, published by MSN in 2021 and titled, “Killer fungus spread rampantly at US hospital Covid ward,” discussed Candida auris infections in patients in a Florida COVID ward:
“C. auris is associated with up to 40 percent in-hospital mortality and is usually caught inside healthcare settings, especially when people have feeding or breathing tubes, or catheters placed in large veins.
It causes bloodstream, wound and ear infections and has also been found in urine and respiratory samples, but it’s not clear if the fungus actually infects the lung or bladder. The recent outbreak began in July when a hospital — which the report did not name — notified the Florida Department of Health of an initial four cases of the fungus among patients being treated for the coronavirus.
The next month, the hospital carried out additional screening in its Covid-19 unit, which spanned four floors across five wings, and identified 35 more patients as being C. auris-positive. Follow-up data was available for only 20 out of the 35 patients.”
The numbers in the study are small but the implications are potentially very significant. That particular hospital happened to test the patients in their COVID ward for the fungus and acknowledge their fungal infections. How many hospitals forgot (or “forgot”) to do that?
And how about the mainstream claim that bacterial pneumonia might have caused a large percentage of “COVID” deaths? How about that? Is anyone going to apologize for the massive 2020 fear mongering, or was this claim allowed because they — the “they” — are about to push a different kind of vaccines and are preparing the scene?
Today, the official take on drug-resistant fungal and other infections in healthcare facilities is that they are very much on the rise. (Even the CDC says so.) But what caused them to be on the rise?
What impaired the natural ability of the westerners to resist infections? Was is mainly the overuse of antibiotics — like they say — or could it be that the entire model of Rockefeller sickcare is simultaneously crumbling under its own weight and doing exactly what it was supposed to do, i.e. turning innocent would-be healthy people into desperate patients for life?
Ironically, this 2018 paper half-answers the question about the rise in fungal infections and almost says the quiet part out loud (the HIV claim aside): “Fungal diseases became a major medical problem in the second half of the 20th century when advances in modern medicine together with the HIV epidemic resulted in large numbers of individuals with impaired immunity [emphasis mine].” Don’t you say!

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2012 Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Linked to Contaminated Steroids
Remember the 2012 multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis that was linked to contaminated steroid injections? In that particular outbreak, about 800 people in twenty states were officially diagnosed with fungal meningitis, and more than a hundred people died.
As a result of the formal investigation, Gregory Conigliaro, the former co-owner of a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy implicated in the multistate fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012, was sentenced to one year in prison and one year of supervised release.
“Prosecutors said Conigliaro conspired with a fellow co-owner — the company’s head pharmacist — to misrepresent the company’s operating procedures to the US Food and Drug Administration and a state pharmacy registration board …
The head pharmacist, Barry Cadden, was sentenced to nine years prison in 2017, having been convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead.”
In the case of the 2012 meningitis outbreak, they found the guilty parties — who weren’t any kind of “big names” — and sentenced them to jail. All fixed now? Shall we believe that the problem of contaminated injectable products has been limited to some compounding pharmacy, and nothing like that could ever happened again?
Mold Contamination in the Production of Pfizer and Moderna COVID Vaccines? David Stonebrook’s Lawsuit
In in 2021, David Stonebrook filed a lawsuit against Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Sigma-Aldrich Corp., EMD Millipore, and Research Organics, LLC, alleging unsanitary conditions at the facilities where they packaged some of the components used in the production of Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines. (Here is the amended complaint from 2023.)
According to Stonebrook’s lawsuit, he was hired as GMP (“Good Manufacturing Practices”) Packaging Supervisor at the defendants’ facility in Cleveland, Ohio, where he oversaw the packaging of TRIS and HEPES (buffers used in protein production and purification) from supersacks that hold several tons of product into smaller packaging for shipment. He was employed at the Facility as “GMP Packaging Supervisor” from January 4, 2021 to March 3, 2021.
Stonebrook was allegedly “informed by the management and reviewed documents reflecting that TRIS and HEPES manufactured and packaged at the Facility were intended for use in the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.”
According to his complaint, he subsequently “observed that the conditions in these packaging rooms where TRIS and HEPES were being repackaged at the Facility do not comply with GMP standards, including because the air handling and dust collection systems servicing these rooms were highly contaminated with mold, other contaminants, and residue from other components packaged in those rooms.
This posed a serious danger to patient health and also plainly violated the obligations that Pfizer and Moderna had to provide GMP compliant Covid-19 vaccines to the United States government.”
Stonebrook made “numerous attempts to bring these serious issues to the attention of Defendants’ management, including initially in discussions, and then in writing. Defendants, instead of correcting these serious issues, fired him.” Here are some images from Stonebrook’s complaint:

Stonebrook’s lawsuit is pending (seemingly in mediation now). In 2023, the defendants in his lawsuit seem to have filed a counter lawsuit against him (defamation, contract breach, etc.).
J&J’s History of Mold and Other Contamination of Drugs and Vaccines
According to NBC News, in 2021, the FDA told Johnson & Johnson to “discard about 60 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine that were produced at a troubled plant in Baltimore.” The FDA inspection of the Baltimore facility “revealed it had serious problems with unsanitary conditions and had failed to properly train workers.” One of the problems reported was mold.
In relation to the J&J troubles, Fox Business reported that Emergent BioSolutions, the company at the center of the vaccine supply chain, had been previously “cited repeatedly by the Food and Drug Administration for problems such as poorly trained employees, cracked vials and mold around one of its facilities, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.”
In 2010, Johnson & Johnson recalled multiple batches of “big-selling, over-the-counter medicines after customers complained about odors of mold and mildew coming from the packages.” The recalled products included a wide variety of Tylenol and Motrin painkillers, Rolaids antacids, St. Joseph aspirin, and Benadryl allergy tablets. According to FDANews, in 2010, both J&J and Pfizer “recalled major drugs for musty, moldy odor.”
In 2013, J&J recalled 5,000 vials of Risperdal Consta, a long-acting injectable version of the antipsychotic pill Risperdal. A routine analysis “revealed that one lot of the med was contaminated with a mold found commonly in the environment.”
“That recall followed close behind another from J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit. After finding plastic particles in its API last week, the company pulled 200,000 bottles of Motrin Infants’ Drops.”
In 2014, J&J recalled 13,500 bottles of Xarelto because of contamination. “According to a recall notice in the latest FDA Enforcement Report, the drugmaker said that it confirmed that a sales sample of the drug was contaminated after a customer complaint, and so initiated a nationwide, voluntary recall. The company reported that the product came from a plant in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.”
“Brought to You by Pfizer”?
In 2019, Pfizer recalled two lots of Relpax, a headache medicine that narrows blood vessels around the brain, due to the “potential presence of Genus Pseudomonas and Burkholderia … Individuals who consume oral products contaminated with microorganisms are at risk of bacterial dissemination from the gut to the bloodstream potentially resulting in serious, life-threatening infections.”
Mycoplasma Contamination of Vaccines
Here is a highly censored talk by Dr. Garth Nicolson in which he discusses potential mycoplasma contamination of vaccines. I am sharing with great thanks to A Midwestern Doctor for posting this video as the last time I looked, it had been completely scrubbed from YouTube.
Contaminated Rotarix Vaccines?
Here is a very interesting excerpt by John Stone published by Age of Autism:
“On March 22, 2010 the FDA suspended the use of GSK’s Rotarix vaccine after it was found to be contaminated with porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV-1). Then on May 6 the Offit/Merck version Rotateq was found to be contaminated not only by PCV-1 but another related virus, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2).
On May 7, according to information on the FDA website a meeting was swiftly convened: ‘to discuss the findings of PCV and PCV DNA in rotavirus vaccines. Based on a careful evaluation of this information, a thorough review of the scientific literature, and input from scientific and public health experts, the Agency is revising its recommendation to temporarily suspend use of the Rotarix vaccine.
FDA has determined it is appropriate for clinicians and health care professionals to resume the use of Rotarix and to continue the use of RotaTeq.’”
Putting the Plasmid Contamination in Context
Like I said in an earlier Substack article, I would like to put the plasmidgate and the SV40 contamination of COVID injections in a broader context. The plasmid contamination is a very bad thing — and my hat goes off to every brave soul who is exploring that route.
“However, the problem is much bigger, in my opinion, and it is very helpful to zoom out and consider the fact that biological contamination of the things that we presume to be clean is very widespread.
And while it is very widespread — and we are exposed to a ton of natural and genetically modified bugs — due to poisoning of everything, our microbiomes and our immune systems are not “what they used to be.” So it’s a bit of a double whammy. And yet, our job is to prevail!”
Precision Fermentation
Then we have the so called “precision fermentation” which is playing an increasingly significant role in the production of pharmaceutical components, popular food additives, etc.
It is not really fermentation per se, it’s a technology that “uses microorganisms – usually genetically modified – as ‘cell factories’ to produce specific functional ingredients,” such as, for example, proteins and enzymes. The technology is considered cost-effective by the pharmaceutical, food, and other industries, and it is on the rise.
Once the target components are produced, they are supposed to be separated from the biological “goo” that’s produced them and thoroughly purified. How well are they separated and purified?
In theory, it all works great — but this particular peasant is feeling a little skeptical about the “quality assurance” process across the board and thinks that the problem of biological contamination of everything is going to become even bigger as precision fermentation is used more.
Hey, in no relation to precision fermentation, in 2013, Boehringer Ingelheim closed a whole pharmaceutical plant in Bedford, OH, following 2011 failed inspections that revealed unsanitary conditions, including the famous bucket of urine! Do you think that the spirit of “warp speed” moneymaking made things any better? Methinks, no.
A Prediction
Here is my prediction:
“We are going to hear more and more about drug-resistant non-viral infections running amok. It will be presented as a big surprise, despite the WEF writing for years about antimicrobial resistance being the next big threat. There will be cries for new drug development and new life-saving vaccines, this time against molds, yeasts, and intracellular parasites.
We are going to hear more about “dementia” being caused by microbes. Hell, they may even dare squeak that “autism” can be caused by microbes — and they are going to wrap this in a war cry for more vaccines.
It will be all very cruel because neurological issues can be caused by microbes and, in my opinion, often are — in part due to injecting very lucky microbes into children’s arms and bloodstreams for decades — but one thing that is definitely not going to help those children (now senior citizens with dementia) is more potentially contaminated vaccines.”
Conclusion
I would like to end the story with a few philosophical and practical thoughts:
“I believe that a lot of “mysterious” sickness that has been exploding over the past decades (including skyrocketing dementia and autism) can be attributed not just to the all-pervasive business model based on ruthless poisoning — but also to the under-the-radar microbes, such as molds and other fungi, protozoans, not-so-friendly bacteria, and other living creatures who are very prevalent in the westerners’ bodies but capitalize on the myth of cleanliness in the westerners’ minds.
Those bugs can lie low for a long time and then attack in earnest when the person gets old, overly stressed, overly poisoned or irradiated, gets another infection, etc.” This is not a reason for panic. It’s a call for exploring, protecting ourselves intelligently and fearlessly — and giving our bodies the love we deserve.
“When it comes to vaccines, the unsanitary abyss offers a unique way to harm. If a biologically contaminated substance is injected into one’s arm, the contamination can very easily get straight into the bloodstream, bypassing the body’s natural guards.
Furthermore, in case of COVID mRNA vaccines, they are immunosuppressive by design to prevent the body from nuking the foreign genetic material — and so if a lucky bug is accidentally injected straight into the bloodstream alongside immunosuppressive components — that is one lucky bug!”
“In next few years, the amount of people who can productively work and use their bodies and brains in the “old normal way” will likely significantly decrease. Now is a very good time for soul searching, exploring and learning the old ways of medicine, and remembering that there is a meaning to all this.”
There is definitely existential meaning to everything we are going through — including the abysmal decline of mainstream medicine — and my hope is that as the Rockefeller sickcare crumbles — we will find our connection to earth, to better medicine, to each other, and to our own souls.
About the Author
To find more of Tessa Lena’s work, be sure to check out her bio, Tessa Fights Robots.
Here’s Why You Don’t Ever Want to Eat Moldy Bread
Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2023/09/21/never-eat-moldy-bread.aspx
The original Mercola article may not remain on the original site, but I will endeavor to keep it on this site as long as I deem it to be appropriate.
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola Fact Checked September 21, 2023
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Mold is a microscopic fungi; there may be up to 300,000 species, some of which are poisonous if you eat them
- Mold grows by sending out a network of thread-like roots throughout the nutrient source; stalks containing the reproductive part of the fungi grow upward producing visible, colored spores
- Inhaling or consuming mold may expose you to mycotoxins, poisonous substances often found around the thread-like roots, increasing your risk of gastrointestinal and liver damage
- Reduce mold growth at home by inspecting food for mold before purchase, purchasing food within expiration dates, keeping humidity at home below 40%, cleaning your refrigerator every week or so and removing moldy or spoiled foods immediately
Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published October 6, 2018.
Molds are microscopic fungi. To date, no one knows exactly how many species exist, but estimates range from tens of thousands to potentially more than 300,000.1 As demonstrated in the featured video, fungi are made of many cells and can sometimes be seen with the naked eye.
When mold appears on your food, there are strategies you may use to help determine whether or not the food is safe to eat. Generally speaking, softer foods, such as bread, should be discarded when you see mold, as the part of the fungi visible is usually just the tip of the iceberg.
Some common foods are developed using mold as an ingredient or part of the process, such as alcoholic beverages, blue cheese and soy sauce. Although these types of mold are safe to eat and digest, if you have a mold allergy, illness or a history of yeast infection, it’s best to stay away from these foods.
The list of salvageable foods with mold growth is much smaller than the list that should be discarded immediately. Learning how to differentiate the foods on these lists begins with understanding how mold grows.
How Mold Grows
Mold spreads through spores produced by the fungus as it matures. Mold spores are present on many surfaces but remain dormant until they are in an environment conducive to germination and growth. Food is a perfect breeding ground and even fresh food hosts mold spores.
Once mold has germinated and grown, the visible mold is the reproductive part called the sporangium.2 Each sporangium releases tens of thousands of spores to spread the fungi. Beneath the sporangium is a vast network of roots called hyphae. These thread-like roots invade the food sending a stalk to rise above the surface where the sporangia develops.
The spores are what give the mold color. When airborne, spreading the fungus, they are so small you can’t see color with the naked eye. Although the roots are difficult to see when the mold is growing on food, they have the potential to spread throughout the food, branching out further than the visible sporangium.
Just as there are types of wild mushrooms which are safe to eat and others that are deadly, some molds may produce mycotoxins, poisonous substances that can make you sick. Dangerous molds often contain mycotoxins around the root threads, meaning the toxins may have spread throughout the food once mold growth is visible.3
Molds prefer warm and humid conditions and require a nutrition source, suitable air quality and adequate moisture for growth. Indoors, they may be found where humidity levels are highest, such as a bathroom.
However, while most prefer warmer temperatures, some are able to grow in the refrigerator as well. Molds are more tolerant of salt and sugar than other food invaders. This means they can grow in refrigerated jams and jellies or on cured salty meats such as ham, bacon or salami.4
Will Heat Make Moldy Food Safe?
Since the root system of mold may travel throughout a single piece of food, or from one food to another when they are packed close together, it is unwise to eat any of the bread from a loaf with mold. Even if you can’t see the mold, the entire loaf of bread or piece of fruit may be teaming with fungus.
You might be unwilling to throw out food, but a single piece of bread may have dangerous consequences. Just heating food to a boiling point does not kill most molds. This means running your bread through the toaster won’t do the trick. Boiling for several minutes at a high temperature or baking, however, will kill many molds and may destroy the dangerous aflatoxin they produce.

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What’s Causing the Health Problems?
Molds may produce poisonous mycotoxins, a term for poisonous substances produced by fungus. Mycotoxins are found primarily in grain and nut crops, but have been found on celery, apples, grapes and other produce as well. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates 25% of food crops are affected by mycotoxins.
There are many mycotoxins but only a few are regularly found in grains and seeds with the potential to harm humans and livestock. While visible mold contamination may be superficial, the mycotoxins produced are able to do significant damage.5
The effects of illness are acute and often appear quickly. Specific types of mycotoxins called aflatoxins have long-term or cumulative effects on health, including an association with cancer and immune deficiency. Aflatoxins are some of the most toxic chemicals known to exist,6 produced by Aspergillus mold, found growing in decaying vegetation, hay and grains. Crops most frequently affected include:7
- Cereals — corn, wheat, rice, sorghum
- Oilseeds — peanut, sunflower and cottonseed
- Spices — chili pepper, black pepper, coriander, turmeric and ginger
- Tree nuts — pistachio, almond, walnut, coconut and Brazil nut
Aflatoxicosis is a disease found in livestock, domestic animals and humans throughout the world. Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) believe even with good manufacturing processes, aflatoxins are unavoidable contaminants of food and feed.8
Ergot: A Dangerous Food Mold
Ergot is a fungus found on rye and other cereal grasses, such as wheat. Historically, eating ergot-contaminated foods during the Middle Ages, such as rye bread, was called “Saint Anthony’s fire” as the illness was often cured by visiting the shrine of Saint Anthony, located in a region of France that was free of ergot.9
Some historians believe the mold played a role in the Salem Witch Hunt of 1692 and, despite serious safety concerns, it has also been used to control excessive bleeding during menstrual periods and before and after miscarriage.
Laws regulate the amount of ergot allowed in food as ergotoxins are active and extremely dangerous even in minute quantities. One example of an ergotoxin is LSD. Unless well-regulated, ergotoxins have the potential to reach dry cereal and wheat breads.10
Even in tiny doses, it may help explain changes in behavior sometimes attributed to allergies.11 As your liver is unable to keep up with detoxification, it can result in changes in behavior. If this happens at home, try removing all moldy food types, such as cold cereals, nuts and nut butters or store-bought breads and baked goods for at least three weeks to evaluate changes in behavior.
Health Concerns Triggered by Moldy Food
If you’ve opened a bag of moldy bread, do not sniff it! Inhaling mold spores may trigger difficulty breathing, nasal irritation, eye irritation and wheezing.12 Ingesting mycotoxin contaminated food may result in illness, including liver, gastrointestinal and carcinogenic diseases.13
Aspergillus mold, found on meat and poultry and in the environment, can trigger an infection called aspergillosis.14 The illness is actually a group of illnesses affecting your lungs or even a whole-body infection. Invasive aspergillosis is the most serious type, invading your blood vessels and spreading throughout your body.
With an aspergillosis infection you may grow a “fungal ball” in your lungs, which is a tangled ball of fungal fiber called an aspergilloma. This may lead to hemoptysis (coughing up blood), wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue and weight loss. Depending on the severity of the condition, your physician may recommend antifungal medications, steroids, surgery or embolization.15
Reduce Mold Growth on Your Food
The average U.S. consumer throws away nearly 40% of the food they purchase, usually because it has gone bad.16 You can drastically reduce this kind of waste by learning the basics of food storage and planning your meals before you go to the grocery store.
A thorough cleaning of your refrigerator once a week or so is also important to reduce the spread of mold spores and to keep your refrigerator sanitary.
Any bacteria or parasite capable of causing food poisoning may be transferred to refrigerator shelves and crisper drawers.17 While cleaning, it’s a good time to use up the food you can and discard anything spoiled. The simplest time to schedule a cleaning is right before trip to the grocery store or farmers market when the refrigerator contains the least amount of food.
When you invest time and money into the food you purchase, you also want to be sure it lasts as long as possible. The following suggestions may help reduce mold growth:18
- Clean out the inside of the refrigerator with 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 quart of water and rinse with fresh clean water and then dry it.
- Keep any dishcloth, towels, sponges and mops clean and fresh. If they smell musty, they’re likely spreading mold.
- Seek to keep your home’s humidity level below 40%.
- Check foods before you purchase them at the grocery store for visible signs of mold and for expiration dates.
What to Do When You Find Mold on Your Food
If you find mold on your food, do not smell it as it’s likely you will inhale spores, potentially triggering a nasty respiratory problem. Instead, throw the food out in a small paper bag, in a covered trash can away from children or animals.19
Clean the area where the food was stored and check nearby items the moldy food may have touched. Mold spreads quickly between fruits and vegetables. While it’s best to throw out any moldy food, you may be able to salvage hard cheese, dry-cured ham and firm produce.20
As it’s difficult for the mold to penetrate deeply into these products, you may be able to cut at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot, keeping the knife out of the mold to prevent cross-contamination of other areas. After trimming the mold, store the food in a fresh container.
- 1, 3, 4, 8 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Molds on Food
- 2 Business Insider, September 19, 2018
- 5 USDA. International Trade and Food Safety
- 6, 11 Living Network, Moldy Foods and Aflatoxins
- 7 World Health Organization, Mycotoxins
- 9 Medical News Today. Ergot Poisoning, Treatment and Symptoms
- 10 University of Nebraska Extension, Ergot of Small Grain Cereals
- 12 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Mold and Dampness
- 13 Journal of Toxicology, 2004;42(2):217
- 14 Mold Help, Aspergillosis
- 15 MayoClinic, Aspergillosis
- 16 Marketwatch, June 5, 2018
- 17, 18, 19 University of Minnesota Extension, Are Molds on Food Dangerous?
- 20 Mother Nature Network, September 21, 2018