Mayo Clinic: Moldy cheese: Is it unsafe to eat?

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Moldy cheese: Is it unsafe to eat?

Q. If a piece of cheese has mold on it, should I throw the cheese away or

can I cut off the moldy part and eat the rest of it?

- No name / No state given

Mayo Clinic dietitian _ Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., _

(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/biography/SB00051) and colleagues answer

select questions from

readers.

Answer

The answer depends on the type of cheese. Molds are microscopic organisms

that have thread-like roots that burrow into the foods they grow on. Most molds

are harmless. Molds are even used to make some kinds of cheese, such as

Roquefort, Gorgonzola, brie and Camembert. These molds are safe to eat.

But mold on cheese that's not part of the manufacturing process can also

harbor harmful bacteria, such as listeria, brucella, salmonella and E. coli.

With hard and semisoft cheese, you can cut away the moldy part and eat the rest

of the cheese. But soft cheeses should be discarded.

Moldy cheese? What to do

Type of cheese

Examples

Handling

Hard

Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere

Safe to eat if the mold is removed. Cut off at least one inch around and

below the mold spot. Keep the knife out of the mold itself so that it doesn't

cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese. Cover the cheese in fresh wrap.

Semisoft

American, Asiago, baby Swiss, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Muenster,

Gorgonzola

Safe to eat if the mold is removed. Cut off at least one inch around and

below the mold spot. Keep the knife out of the mold itself so that it doesn't

cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese. Cover the cheese in fresh wrap.

Soft

Brie, blue cheese, Camembert, cottage cheese, Neufchatel, feta, ricotta,

shredded and sliced cheeses

Discard the cheese.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2006

To prevent mold growth on cheese, follow these tips:

- Keep cheese and cheese dishes covered with plastic wrap.

- Always refrigerate cheese. Don't allow cheese to sit at room temperature

for longer than two hours.

Also, don't eat cheese made from unpasteurized (raw) milk. Raw milk and

cheeses may contain harmful bacteria and aren't safe to eat, drink or use in

cooking.

_By Mayo Clinic Staff_

(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/AboutThisSite/AM00057)

Feb 27, 2007

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