It is traditionally believed that we should not eat food with mold, cause mold shows that your food is going bad or has gone bad, so what you should do is throw it out. But it’s not the same with cheeses.
What is Mold?
Molds are a type of fungus that produces spores. They can be found anywhere in the environment, including your refrigerator, and are spread by air, insects, and water, though they thrive in warm, humid environments.
In most foods, mold indicates deterioration. It typically has a fuzzy appearance and is green, white, black, blue, or grey.
Even though its roots can reach deep into the food, when it first begins to grow, it is typically visible on the food’s surface. It changes the food’s appearance and smell, producing a sour or “off” odor.
Some types of mold are used in cheesemaking to develop flavor and texture even though they are generally dangerous to eat. You can consume these without any risk.
Dangers of Eating Moldy Cheese
Molds can carry harmful bacteria, including E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and Brucella, all of which can cause food poisoning.
Vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea are among the signs of food poisoning. Severe cases could result in death.
Dangerous molds can also produce mycotoxins, the effects of which range from acute food poisoning to immune deficiency and even cancer. In particular, the carcinogen aflatoxin has been shown to increase your risk of liver cancer.
The best way to minimize your risk of mycotoxin exposure is to avoid eating moldy food and practice safe food storage.
Which Cheeses Are Made With Mold?
Using the rennet enzyme, dairy milk is curdled to produce cheese, which is then made by draining the liquid. The leftover curds are salted and aged.
The type of milk, bacteria present, aging period, and processing techniques all affect how cheese tastes, feels, and looks. In fact, the production of some types of cheese requires mold.
The most common types of mold used to grow cheese are Penicillium (P.) roqueforti, P. glaucum, and P. candidum. These molds contribute to the development of distinctive flavors and textures by consuming the proteins and sugars in the milk, which causes chemical alterations.
For instance, mold is responsible for the distinctive bluish veins in blue cheese. Brie’s thick exterior rind and creamy, smooth interior are also a result of it.
Mold-grown cheeses include:
- Blue cheeses: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, and other blue varieties
- Soft-ripened cheeses: Camembert, Humboldt Fog, Brie, and St. André
Blue cheeses typically have spores injected into the curds themselves, unlike soft-ripened cheeses, which are created by blending mold into the milk during processing.
Is Moldy Cheese Safe to Eat?
Mold on cheese isn’t always an indicator of spoilage.
Different molds than the ones that sprout on your stale bread and cheese are used to produce some varieties.
You can eat the ingredients used to make cheese. While typical mold is a fuzzy growth that ranges in color from white to green, blue veins inside the cheese or a thick, white rind on the outside are characteristics of these types of mold.
Mold can be detected not just by appearance but also by odor. However, it’s best to smell the cheese after buying it to get a sense of its smell because some cheeses have a strong natural odor. You can then assess how current it is going forward.
Remember that mold-grown cheeses may also contain dangerous spores. They resemble those that grow on other foods in appearance.
When to Throw Out Moldy Cheese
If you spot mold on your cheese, you don’t necessarily have to throw it out.
Spores rarely penetrate much deeper than the surface of hard cheeses like Parmesan, Colby, Swiss, and Cheddar. As a result, the remainder of the product is probably safe to consume. Trim at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) around and below the mold if you want to save it.
Soft cheeses, as well as shredded, crumbled, or sliced varieties, are exempt from this method.
Any signs of mold on these kinds, which include cream cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta, mean that it should be thrown out at once — as the spores can easily contaminate the entire product.
How to Properly Store Cheese
Using the right storage methods can help stop cheese from going bad.
Check the cheese for cracks and mold growth before choosing a piece of regular cheese. Smoothness and the absence of any spots that have hardened or turned yellow are required.
When buying cheeses that have been exposed to mold, look out for any fuzzy, unappealing spots. Use the blue-veined regions as a reference point to determine if any unusual colors or textures emerge.
Cheese should be kept chilled at a temperature of 34–38°F (1–3°C). Mold spores can be averted by tightly wrapping your cheese in plastic wrap.
Conclusion
Some cheeses are made with mold, which gives cheeses unique flavors, and you can have them safely. But when the mold appears on other cheeses, it shows that the cheeses are not suitable to eat. So it’s important to figure out what kind of cheeses you have.
FAQs
How Do You Know If Moldy Cheese Is Bad?
Look for visual cues such as an extra slimy surface; dark, dry, and cracked areas in a hard cheese; or yellow splotches on a blue cheese (remember, unintended mold doesn’t necessarily mean the entire wheel is done for). If the cheese is unopened, bloated packaging can also be an indicator.
How Long after You Eat Mold Will You Get Sick?
If you end up getting sick from eating bad bread, it will happen within a few hours. Moldy bread can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
