Aspergillus Niger

Aspergillus niger, sometimes loosely called black mold, is a mold in the Nigri section of the genus Aspergillus, in the family Aspergillaceae, distinct from the broader genus Aspergillus itself. Found throughout the environment in soil, water, on vegetation, in decomposing matter, and suspended in air, it is a strict aerobe that grows across a wide temperature range of 6 to 47 degrees Celsius, tolerates pH from 1.5 to 9.8, and thrives in both dry and highly humid conditions, with spores detected at altitudes up to 58 kilometers. It is an industrial producer of citric acid, more than 1 million metric tons of it annually, and of gluconic acid and enzymes used in making high-fructose corn syrup, clarifying wine, and digestive supplements, and is classified generally recognized as safe by the FDA for food production, despite being capable of producing harmful mycotoxins such as ochratoxin A.