In many ways, mould is cheese. But not all mould is created the same. In this article, we’ll go through the different types of mould, and how you can tell them apart. Read on to find out if you can eat mould cheese.
Mould is cheese
Mould can be scary if you’re not used to seeing it on food. But it can actually be an important part of cheesemaking. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can eat mouldy cheese, we’ve got all the answers to your questions below.
If you’ve eaten cheese even once in your life (I know you have, you wouldn’t be here otherwise), then you have eaten mould. Are soft cheeses your jam? Meet Penicillium candidum. Are you more of a blue cheese fiend, say hello to our little friend, Penicillium roqueforti.
What moulds are safe to eat?
Picture this. You bought yourself a little treat the last time you were at your local cheese shop. A round of your favourite triple cream soft cheese, Brillat-Savarin. Today is the day when you get to dig into it! You’ve been waiting for this moment since you brought it home. You go to the fridge and pull it out.
Oh no, there is a patch of fuzzy mouldy growth on top of the rind! What do you do? Do not freak out! Read on to find out why this mould is perfectly safe to eat. Moreover, mould can be desirable in cheese.
Mould in cheesemaking
Mould is used for various reasons in the cheesemaking process. Some like Penicillium candidum and Geotrichum candidum add the beautiful white textures that we all love on the rind. Others like Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium glaucum add the blue veins that we all go gaga over in blue cheeses.
Cheese is a living organism
In summary, mould contributes significantly to the aroma, flavour and texture of the cheeses we love. Furthermore, think of both the mould and the cheese as living organisms.
When you keep cheese in your fridge, it breathes and lives and continues to grow. So does the good mould. So, it is not uncommon to find fluffy bunny tails growing on the surface of soft white mould cheeses. Or patches of blue on some hard cheeses. One great example of the latter is a gorgeous Cheddar from Wales called Hafod.
What types of mould aren’t safe to eat?
However, there are some moulds that can be dangerous. The most common one is Aspergillus niger, a.k.a the Black Mould. This fungus will have a severe negative impact on the food product it contaminates and releases toxins in the body that can be harmful. Having said that, it is very rarely found on cheese.
Moreover, some other moulds can be a bit like an iceberg. You will only see a flat patch of greyish-blue or green on the surface of the cheese. The rest will lie under the rind.
Can mouldy cheese be eaten?
Also, remember that your fridge may not be a controlled environment and you do not really know what moulds are present. Therefore, we need some rules. The safest approach is to avoid eating any questionable mould. What you do with the rest of the cheese will depend on its moisture content and texture.
Cheeses you should discard
If it is fresh cheese (e.g. Ricotta, Queso Fresco, Cream Cheese) or pasta filata (e.g. Mozzarella, Stracciatella, Bocconcini), the best thing is to discard all of it. Those cheeses are high in moisture and quite soft. Because of this, the mould will have very likely penetrated all the way through.
Cheeses you can save
On a more positive note, if it is a semi-hard (e.g. Comté, Gruyère, Emmentaler) to hard cheese (e.g. Cheddar, Gouda, Parmigiano Reggiano), the mould will most probably be only on the surface and can be sliced off. The rest of the cheese should be absolutely fine to eat.
One last piece of advice
Do not leave cheese long enough in your fridge for it to develop contamination! Buy what you will eat within a week. One exception to this rule is if you are buying a whole wheel of cheese with a natural rind. Those will actually get better with time as you allow them to reach their “Best Before Date”.
Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online.
