IS MOULDY CHEESE A FOOD SAFETY CONCERN?
Question: We received a question from a customer who found mould in some diced cheese. Some of the cheese was consumed before the mould was noticed. Are there any health or safety risks with consuming cheese with unwanted mould?
Answer: The short answer to this question is no. Generally speaking, unwanted mould on cheese is considered a cheese quality issue (as in poor flavour), and not a food safety issue. Spoilage moulds create off-flavours in cheese because they produce excessive amounts of enzymes, such as lipases and proteases, which lead to the breakdown of cheese.
While one can’t say it’s impossible, it is said that it would be rare for mould on cheese to pose a health concern.
For example, there are quite a few cheeses, such as cave aged Cheddars, where wild moulds are deliberately promoted to populate the surface of the cheese.
** Find attached an article with more information on the question of mouldy cheese.
Related Articles
HOW DO I PREVENT AND GET RID OF MOULD IN MY FACTORY?
MOULD IS A TYPE OF FUNGUS THAT GROWS IN DAMP, WARM AND POORLY VENTILATED ENVIRONMENTS. IT CAN APPEAR AS A DISCOLOURED, FUZZY OR SLIMY PATCH ON SURFACES AND CAN CAUSE VARIOUS HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS. MOULD ...
WHAT ARE LACTASE ENZYMES?
Lactase is an enzyme produced by many organisms and is essential to the complete digestion of whole milk. It breaks down the sugar lactose into its component parts, galactose and glucose. Attached you will find some interesting and informative ...
WHY DO WE ADD MOULD TO CHEESE?
Adding mould to cheese serves several important purposes. Firstly, mould contributes to the unique flavor and texture profiles of different cheese varieties. Depending on the type of mould used, it can add earthy, nutty, or tangy notes, enhancing the ...
HOW DOES LISTERIA SPREAD?
Listeria can be spread to people by several different methods. Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacteria without appearing ill ...
HOW DO I SOLVE BITTERNESS IN CHEESE?
Cheese bitterness is a complex problem to solve. It starts with your raw milk quality…. It’s more common in Gouda than Cheddar. Attached are some suggestions and more information in addressing this issue. Furthermore a person could also consider ...