Given the cost of living crisis in Australia, cheese has become a “luxury product” for many, but those who try to extend the shelf life of cheese by cutting off mould may have to pay for it.
American surgeon Dr. Dana Brems warns against removing visible mold from cheese and eating the rest, although many have been doing this for years to save money.
Although it may be tempting to cut into a moldy piece of cheddar or brie with a knife, there are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to avoid nausea, vomiting or allergic reactions.
American surgeon Dr. Dana Brems warns against removing visible mold from cheese and eating the rest, although many have been doing this for years to save money.
“Mold is like an iceberg: you can see some pieces on the surface, but there is more mold hidden further down that you cannot see with the naked eye,” said Dr. Brems.
She said those who want to save their dairy products should differentiate between the softer and harder cheeses.
“If you have a hard cheese like cheddar, you can cut at least an inch around and under the moldy area. Then the cheese is safe to eat because the mold doesn’t penetrate as deeply into these dense cheeses,” she said.
However, the medical expert advises washing the knife between cuts if you want to avoid cross-contamination.
She said those who want to save their dairy products need to differentiate between the softer and harder cheeses.
Dr Brems said softer cheeses such as blue cheese, brie, camembert and gorgonzola were much more difficult to save once unsightly mould spores had appeared.
“When you see mold in softer cheeses like Brie or cottage cheese, you never know how deep it has really penetrated,” she said.
“In addition, these types of cheese have a higher water activity, so that hydrobacteria can grow alongside the mold.”
“If you find mold on soft cheese, the whole cheese goes straight into the trash.”
The doctor said that any pre-grated or sliced cheese that had become moldy should be thrown away immediately and not eaten.
Dr. Brems said mold on soft cheese poses a greater risk of nausea or vomiting and that any soft cheese with visible mold should be thrown away and not eaten.
Dr. Brems added that if you have a weakened immune system or a mold allergy, you should not take any risks and simply throw away spoiled cheese.
Australian food scientist Gary Kennedy agrees with Dr. Brems that soft cheese becomes dangerous when mold forms.
“Mold is like a blue bottle. The part you can see on top is safe to touch, but the parts underneath are the poison,” he said.
Dr Kennedy added that this also applies to soft foods such as jam or tomato sauce. It is never safe to remove the mold and just eat the rest.
He explained that bread falls into the middle category between soft and hard foods.
He said that if a slice of bread shows signs of mold, you should remove a few slices on either side to ensure that you have removed the roots. The rest should then be safe to eat.
Dr. Kennedy warned that repeated exposure to mold can have effects on the body similar to chemical poisoning and should not be taken lightly.
Many Europeans and Australians were outraged at being advised to throw away moldy cheese.
“This is a purely American view and is not correct. If the mold is black, red/orange, then it is indeed garbage. White, blue, green and yellow mold can be easily cut away and it is fine, if not better,” said one cheesemonger.
“In France we eat a lot of moldy cheese. Food laws in Europe are also very strict and I have never heard of a case of food poisoning from moldy cheese,” agreed another.
However, Dr Kennedy argued that the mould we have in Australia is different to the mould found in other parts of the world – and that it is not worth messing around with.
