# Is it safe to eat this cheese? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2024, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180 "2024-11-13T02:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/1 "2024-11-13T02:13:51Z")
I have some packaged mozzarella string cheese. It’s the kind that is individual sticks packed in plastic but attached to each other in a sheet but perforated so you can rip off one stick. Yes I know it’s horrible wasteful packaging but it does make life convenient. Today I went to grab a couple of strips and I noticed that one had tiny spots of what looked like mold under the plastic. I had a similar situation before with cheddar sticks where one was completely moldy but since each stick was completely separate and chedddar is a hard cheese I felt IK eating the other ones. Now this is of course the highly processed mozzarella, so not exactly a soft cheese but should I just dump the whole package since if they are attached I assume that they likely all came from the same batch? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/2 "2024-11-13T02:32:04Z")
I would certainly discard it if it was me. Maybe it won’t make you sick, but is it really worth it over a package of string cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/3 "2024-11-13T02:32:34Z")
I pick (or cut) the mould off of block cheese and eat the cheese. I’m not dead yet. [NB: For string cheese packaged like yours, it’s too much trouble; so I toss the mouldy ones and eat the non-mouldy ones.] ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/4 "2024-11-13T02:35:49Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > since if they are attached I assume that they likely all came from the same batch? Yes and no. Once ready for packaging, a huge amount are dumped into a big hopper, so while they may be next to one another on the packaging line, they weren’t necessarily next to one another during manufacturing. Did you closely inspect the bad one? It’s more likely the packaging is compromised somewhere on just that one. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/5 "2024-11-13T02:40:10Z")
The individual package most likely had a leak that let air in and allowed the mold to grow. If the other packets are not showing any signs of mold they should be safe. I say go for it and then report back. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/6 "2024-11-13T03:07:49Z")
Before they were packaged, they all had mold spores, because everything, everywhere, has mold spores. After they were packaged, they should have been treated with heat, radiation, or in some other way to kill the mold spores. If any still grew after that, there must be some flaw in the packaging. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/7 "2024-11-13T03:13:40Z")
“When in doubt, throw it out.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/8 "2024-11-13T03:14:38Z")
The general rule is that a small amount of surface mold on a hard cheese like cheddar can be cut off and the rest of the cheese block should be OK, but that doesn’t apply to soft cheeses like mozzarella. The one moldy package should definitely be thrown out. Personally I’d throw out the whole lot, but if you can find an expiry date and they haven’t expired, you might consider still eating them after careful examination. I wouldn’t, though – it’s just not worth it, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/9 "2024-11-13T04:05:33Z")
Give it to me, I’ll eat it. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/10 "2024-11-13T04:38:25Z")
He likes it! Hey, Mikey! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/11 "2024-11-13T04:56:06Z")
I eat anything, but … it’s string cheese. What’s the economic waste in that? And is it worth it? Toss that shit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/12 "2024-11-13T04:59:05Z")
Eat it…tell us what happens. 🤭 Toss it, really. Not worth a belly ache. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/13 "2024-11-13T13:39:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Give it to me, I’ll eat it Yeah, I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum of the “throw it out” people. The mozz with obvious blue I might give to the chickens, but I’d eat the rest with zero qualms. We’ve had bread with mold. I cut off the affected bit and use the rest of the loaf asap. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/14 "2024-11-13T14:20:57Z")
I don’t think moldy cheese is generally dangerous. It just tastes nasty. I’d chuck the ones that look moldy because I’d expect them to taste nasty. I probably wouldn’t chuck the others. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/15 "2024-11-13T14:30:27Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t think moldy cheese is generally dangerous. When my gf discussed my trimming and eating bread that had mold, I pointed out to her that there was mold on the bread prior to it being visible. That freaked her out a bit. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/16 "2024-11-13T14:32:59Z")
I don’t know if i still can, because covid damaged my sense of smell, but i used to sometimes taste the mold before i saw it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/17 "2024-11-14T14:04:42Z")
How much would you pay NOT to have food poisoning? How much to replace the cheese? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-this-cheese/1010180/18 "2024-11-15T16:19:07Z")
The update nobody wanted. I decided to toss the whole package and now I am paranoid about ever eating any cheese again. Except blue cheese. I can always assume that mold on blue cheese is deliberate. Thanks guys.