Cheese is a delicious and popular dairy product. However, if you’ve ever seen fuzzy spots on cheese, it’s normal to wonder if it’s still safe to eat. Cheese mold appears the same as in other types of food, but in this case we do not need to throw it away.
Mold is a type of fungus that produces spores. They are transported through air, insects, and water and can be found everywhere in the environment. It is a sign of spoilage in most foods. It tends to be fuzzy and green, white, black, blue, or gray.
Although molds are generally dangerous to eat, some types are used in cheese making to develop flavor and texture . These types are completely safe to consume.
Cheeses with edible mold
Cheese is made by curdling cow’s milk with an enzyme known as rennet and then draining the liquid. The curd that remains is salted and aged. Differences in the taste, texture, and appearance of cheeses depend on the type of milk, bacteria present, length of aging, and processing methods. In fact, certain types of cheese require mold during their production.
The most common types of mold used to grow cheese are Penicillium, Roqueforti, P. glaucum, and P. candidum. These molds help develop unique flavors and textures by eating the proteins and sugars in milk, causing chemical changes. For example, mold is what creates the distinct bluish streaks in blue cheese. It’s also what gives Brie cheese its thick outer rind and smooth, creamy interior.
The most famous mold-cultured cheeses are:
- Blue cheeses: Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton and other blue varieties
- Soft ripened cheeses: Brie, Camembert and St. André
When not to eat cheese mold?
Mold on cheese is not always an indicator of spoilage. Those used to make cheese are safe and are characterized by either blue lines inside the cheese or a thick, white rind on the outside. However, typical mold is a fuzzy growth that ranges in color from white to green.
In addition to the appearance, the smell can also indicate mold. Keep in mind that dangerous spores can also appear in moldy cheeses. They are similar in appearance to those that grow on other foods. So if we see mold on the cheese, we don’t necessarily have to throw it away.
However, it is rare for spores to spread much beyond the surface of hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Swiss, and cheddar. This means that the rest of the product is likely safe to eat. To recover it, you have to cut at least 2.5 cm around. However, this technique does not apply to soft cheeses or grated, shredded, or sliced varieties.
Any sign of mold on these types, which include cream cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta , means they should be thrown out immediately, as the spores can easily contaminate the entire product.
