What causes moldy cheese?
William Burgess
Updated on April 03, 2026
What causes moldy cheese?
The flavor of cheese constantly evolves as it ages, even after you bring it home. Very cold temperatures will stall its flavor development, while too much heat or humidity will encourage bacterial growth, leading to mold.
How does a cheese mold work?
Whey Cheese Molds Have Holes When pressing, it is important to get residual whey moving from the cheese, before it is aged. This is why cheese molds have holes, to allow whey to be release evenly. Lining the mold with cheesecloth also helps to wick the moisture away as it is pressed out.
Is cheese mold deadly?
What happens if you eat cheese with mold on it? Probably nothing, though in some people, eating mold can cause allergic reactions. In rare cases, it could be poisonous, and even cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and internal bleeding. So just in case, be safe, and cut that mold off.
Is the white stuff on my cheese mold?
It’s likely that the white substance on the outside of your cheese is calcium lactate. It is basically a natural calcium buildup that occurs over time during the aging process, and it sometimes will become visible on the surface of the cheese. Don’t worry – it is completely natural and safe to eat!
How does Mold grow on a piece of cheese?
And if one spore makes it onto a piece of cheese, it can begin to reproduce rapidly and feed off of the cheese. The amount of mold that grows on cheese depends on the type of cheese as well. There are soft, semi soft, semi hard or hard cheeses produced, and the softer the cheese, the quicker the chances it can grow mold.
Do you have to throw out moldy cheese?
Mold can grow in all types of food, and cheese is no exception. When mold appears on food, it typically means that you should throw it out. However, that may not always be the case with cheese.
What kind of mold is in blue cheese?
Cheese is not mold nor is it the by-product of mold. Some cheese varieties like blue cheese have specific species of mold that are intentionally added during the cheesemaking process to enhance the flavor of texture. The mold added to these cheeses can be thought of as a special ingredient.
What happens if you put PVC in a cheese mold?
The acidity from the draining when will leach the plastic into your cheese. If you made a cheese mold with PVC, this ‘odd flavor’ is from the plastic in your mold. We strongly advise not using PVC for any cheese making. Since you are working with an acidic food, leaching of unknown elements is very probable.
Is mold on cheese bad for You?
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you were to eat a soft cheese with mold, you increase the risk of being exposed to foodborne pathogens such as listeria, salmonella, and E. coli that grow along with the mold. So always make sure you’re taking note of what type of cheese you’re eating!
Is it safe to eat mold on cheese?
It usually is safe to eat moldy cheese — but there’s a caveat. It really depends on the type of cheese and your individual health. There are certain molds that are used to make cheeses, like Roquefort , bleu cheese, Brie, Camembert and Gorgonzola. These particular cheeses are perfectly safe to eat,…
What does Cheese grow mold the quickest?
In keeping with this, high moisture cheeses will generally grow mold faster, so very hard cheeses like parmesan will take a long time to mold, cheddars will be faster, mozzarella faster still, and ricotta or cottage cheese fastest of all. Now this assumes pH differences between these cheeses do not play a role, but in reality they might.
What causes mold to grow on cheese?
Mold grows on cheese because there is a lot of nutrition there for it to grow. There is a trick to keeping the mold off the cheese, and this is to prevent the cheese from being exposed to air. In some cases this is done by painting the cheese with wax.