Interactive CD Guide for Food-Borne Fungal Identification

Filamentous microfungi (often colloquially known as "molds") are a major cause of food wastage throughout the world, accounting for the loss of about 10% of all food production. Although good textbooks on food mycology are available, a clear need exists for simpler and more visual identification systems. Because of ease of manufacture and use, interactive potential and ability to display color pictures, the CD is the ideal medium for such a system. However nothing of this sort is available. The proposed project aims to produce an interactive CD for the identification of food-borne fungi for use by industry personnel and consulting laboratories. The CD will be aimed not so much at mycologists, but at food bacteriologists, who have excellent training in microbiological techniques, but lack specialist knowledge of food mycology.