Should you eat that moldy cheese? (2024)

FAQs

Should you eat that moldy cheese? ›

If cheese has mold growing on it, should I throw it away? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. Soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, cream cheese and ricotta, with mold should be discarded. The same goes for any kind of cheese that's shredded, crumbled or sliced.

Discard any soft cheese showing mold. For hard cheese, such as Cheddar, cut off at least 1-inch around and below the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself). After trimming off the mold, the remaining cheese should be safe to eat. Re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap and keep refrigerated.

It often doesn't cause any issues as the rest of the hard cheese usually doesn't have molds. However, if a hard cheese has a mold patch growing on it, cut 1 inch deep into the cheese away from the mold patch, and you can save the remaining cheese to eat.

A lot of people confuse the white powdery look of calcium lactate on the surface of cheese with mold—an easy mistake to make. Calcium lactate will lay flat on your piece of cheese, whereas mold will be raised, growing on top of it.

Yes. The blue cheese molds - Penicillium roqueforti - is safe for human consumption. It does not produce the same toxins as dangerous molds. Rather, it can be quite healthy, with natural antibacterial properties and the ability to over-take pathogens.

If you're not sure what type of cheese you have or what to do if it grows mold, the safe course is to discard it.

What Causes Cheese to Mold? LaCorte says there is no single reason cheese turns moldy. One common cause is too much moisture when the cheese is being stored. The use of plastic wrapping or zip top bags can retain too much moisture.

Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not cross-contaminate other parts of the produce). Small mold spots can be cut off FIRM fruits and vegetables with low moisture content. It's difficult for mold to penetrate dense foods.

Is cheese made from mold? Cheese is not mold nor is it the by-product of mold. Some cheese varieties like blue cheese have specific species of mold that are intentionally added during the cheesemaking process to enhance the flavor or texture. The mold added to these cheeses can be thought of as a special ingredient.

source Program (FARRP), no evidence exists that moldy cheeses are potentially harmful to mold-allergic individuals. Consumers with mold allergy generally are responding to the inhalation of mold spores. On the other hand, ingestion of moldy cheeses generally involves the ingestion of mycelia, not spores.

What should I do if I ate bad cheese? ›

If you do feel ill after consuming cheese that you suspect was spoiled, please seek medical attention immediately. When in doubt, throw it out. No cheese is worth jeopardizing your health.

If cheese smells bad with ammonia-like or sour odor, then it may be a good idea to throw it out. Unless you're very familiar with the smell of fresh cheese, regardless of the type, make sure to smell it when you first open the packaging. This will help you recall its original smell and identify spoiled cheese later on.

Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta or Brie can be refrigerated one week but they don't freeze well. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening the package and three to four weeks after opening. It can also be frozen six months.

However, any time you see black or dark red mold growing on any cheese, throw it away, Png said. It's rare but it can be toxic. “Other than that, the only real consequences of ingesting most molds will be an unpleasant taste and texture,” she said.

One of the reasons that people love moldy cheese is because these cheese often contain much more salt than other cheeses. Combined with the blue veins and whole milk, this creates a flavor that makes you want to eat more and more. Blue cheese was discovered almost by accident.

So long as you still like the taste, the cheese is fine. Just be aware that the flavor will intensify on most cheeses over time. If the small bite of cheese makes your tongue, lips or cheek tingle or burn, the cheese is bad (even if it passed the look and smell tests).

The defect does not have an impact on flavor or safety, but it does have significant economic consequences as the appearance of the pink color on the surface or within the cheese can result in products not being released to, or being withdrawn from, the market.

Foods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing along with the mold. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin. Microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining condiment.

Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta or Brie can be refrigerated one week but they don't freeze well. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening the package and three to four weeks after opening. It can also be frozen six months.