My parm reg got spots on it.

[food_eater79]

My reggiano got I think mold spots on it after a month or so in the fridge. I keep my meat and cheese in a cold drawer near the bottom, and the parm was wrapped in wax paper and a plastic ziploc bag, not too tight.

Did I do something wrong storing it?

[amyzan]

I usually just go with waxed paper, and find that it rarely dries out before I use it. Back when I wrapped it in fresh plastic each time I used it, I used to have problems with mold. It may be the case that the plastic trapped moisure, causing mold, but I'd be interested in more knowledgable hounds opinions on why that happened with the plastic.

[erica]

If they are white spots, they are not mold; white spots are a good thing on this cheese.

[amyzan]

Yeah, the white spots are crystallized amino acids, from what I understand.

[Agent Orange]

I have a related question, and don't wish to clutter the board with a new topic, but:

Should I be worried about green/blue mold on my parmigiano reggiano rind? The mold, thus far, is confined to the rind. I'm afraid I won't be using the scraps for soup. I've had the chunk for maybe a month and a half. Should I chuck it?

[erica]

I would just wipe off the mold and use the rind for soup. But I am wondering why this happened--I often keep this cheese for much longer than a month in my frig and have never had mold develop. Did you buy it already cut and packaged, or freshly cut from the giant wheel? Does the shop have good turnover, or do you think the cheese could have been sitting on the shelf for a long time?

[Agent Orange]

It was from a fairly busy Whole Foods. The cheese was already wrapped in plastic, was on a large display which was not refrigerated. I just have the cheese in a ziplock bag in the deli drawer of my fridge. I tried to "wipe", but I think I may end up needing to scrape.

[Bryn]

You should cut the rind with mould off and chuck it. the mould could've produced toxins and they could be up to 1/4 inch away from the mould.

[erica]

Does mold that forms on the actual cheese (not the rind) really produce dangerous toxins? Or is is just harmless bacteria?

[alanbarnes]

Molds that produce toxins (mycotoxin and aflotoxin) don't grow on cheeses; they're found primarily in grain and nuts (including peanuts) and rarely on fruits and vegetables.

That said, even non-toxic molds can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, so it's best to cut off the offending bit of rind and discard it. But using the rest is fine.

[Agent Orange]

Thanks for the advice all. Just wish I knew how the mold got there.

[Bryn]

The mould spores are in your fridge from you, the air, the other food you put in your fridge, and they can be on the mouldy food to begin with. It just takes they time to multiply to large enough numbers to show up as a colony.

[Agent Orange]

Just wanted to report back about my moldy parmigiano. I tried to cut off just the rind, but found that it was too, well, hard. So I grated the outer layer of rind off. Hopefully that took care of it. A few spots of the bluish-green mold had showed up on the cheese itself. When no one was looking, I took a tiny little wedge with the mold on it and popped it in my mouth. Not offensive. Tasted like a dry blue cheese.

I was reminded of a friend telling me that any mold that grows on cheese is edile. Under normal sanitary conditions, could this be true?

[amyzan]

I was told something along those lines by someone in the cheese department at the grocery where I used to work. This isn't to say I'd eat moldy cheese at any stage, and thus test out my digestion and immune system. It's diffilcult to know for sure about the environment where cheese is cut. Basically he summed it up by saying cheese is innoculated dairy--it's going to mold, because it IS a developing live organism that just happens to be tastier at some stages than at others.

[fourunder]

I'm sure someone will say something to disprove my take on this, but the possibility of contact of your unprotected hands to the cheese causes bacterias to be introduced, and starts athe natural process that causes your dilemma.

I was always told to always use gloves or wrap my hand in a plastic bag when holing onto a large piece of cheese....in dining rooms, it is suggested the wait staff use a clean linen napkin for protections from germs, when grating cheese at the table.

Along the same lies, when purchasing a large amount of grated cheese from Costco, inevitably there is always more cheese than can be consumed before the opened packages begin to form mold within the bag......the mold does not bother me as much as the smell...which I believe has become compromised. Rind on the cheese I would simply scrape off, but the mold formed in grated Parmiggiano I toss out.

[jaykayen]

The white spots aren't mold. Normal for Parmigianno. You'll notice way more of the spots on aged (36 months+) vs younger (18 months).

[food_eater79]

Should have clarified my original post. The spots weren't whitish, but more on the dark gray side. I did toss it and did not eat any to be on the safe side.

As fourunder said above this, I did use my hands while shredding the cheese when I bought it, but I wash my hands probably 10 times during cooking to avoid contaminating anything! :)

Oh well, gloves next time and parchment wrap, and maybe use it up sooner rather than later.

[greygarious]

I read once that it's best to wrap cheese loosely in parchment paper, which breathes better than wax paper, before putting it in a not-completely-sealed plastic bag or container. Seems to work well.

[hill food]

cheese is by nature live and rancid milk. mold is to be expected and sometimes welcomed. the lactose intolerant should avoid, but others are probably fine. depends how footy you can stand.

it's all a toboggan ride headed for the trees.

[amyzan]

Most aged cheese has very little, if any, lactose. That cheese is a problem for the lactose intolerant is mostly a myth, though there are notable exceptions.

[hill food]

really AmyZ? interesting. maybe I exaggerate.

but I still stand by moldy cheese being OK.

[amyzan]

Yeah, the aging process converts the lactose, but some young cheeses are still a problem for lactose intolerant people.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I eat all the green, grey, white mold on my cheeses. Anything shows up red or pink I'd possibly toss the affected part (not the whole cheese). While I'm a scientist, my approach to cheese has no scientific basis other than coincidentially if at all.