There are a number of cheeses that are made using mold, some of which are developed internally while others are on the surface of the cheese. Certain cheeses such as bleu, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort are referred to as blue-veined cheeses and are created by introducing certain spores. White surface molds are found on cheeses like Brie and Camembert whereas others have internal molds as well as surface ones. In either case, the molds that are used in the production of these cheeses are safe for consumption.

The bottom line is that there are good molds and then there are unsafe ones. Many of the world’s more popular cheeses are made using molds which have been especially cultured for cheese making. Conversely, there are other common molds which when growing on the surface of cheese will create spoilage. However, it isn’t just the surface of the cheese where these molds grow as they do extend into the cheese as well.

Literally millions of spores are produced by each mold colony and discolored streaks result along with clumps of blue, green, or white furry looking growths on the surface of the cheese. These types of mold are not safe to eat. Molds usually grow faster in warmer temperatures, especially if the cheese has been exposed to the air and/or moisture. What you want to remember is that there is more to the mold than what you see on the surface of the cheese.

Certain molds can contain toxins

In the past, mold never bothered us as we would just cut it off and go on eating the rest of the unspoiled food. However, we now know that certain poisons called Mycotoxins are produced by some molds and even cooking the food will not destroy them. Some Mycotoxins will make you sick immediately while others are believed to be carcinogens. So there are a variety of molds that you should need to be aware of as being dangerous and not fit for consumption.

Preventing molds on certain cheeses

There are a few things that you can do to prevent mold from growing on firm, hard, or semi-soft cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. Taking the following precautions will help to prevent mold from developing on your cheese:

oUntil you are ready to use the cheese, leave it sealed in its original packaging and keep it refrigerated

oAfter you have opened the cheese, re-wrap it tightly in either plastic wrap or waxed paper and keep it refrigerated

oIf you see that any moisture has developed on the cheese, wipe it off with a clean paper towel before you re-wrap it

Finally, should your cheese develop mold spots, you want to cut it off plus another inch of cheese surrounding the mold spot. Once you have cut the mold off, wrap it carefully and then discard it so no spores wind up being spread throughout your kitchen and infect other foodstuffs. Re-wrap the cheese in a fresh piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerated it. You should also try to consume the remaining cheese as soon as possible.