# What is the white powdery stuff on the skin of a Salami?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 5, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505 "2001-01-05T02:19:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![phox\_mulder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@phox\_mulder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phox_mulder)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505/1 "2001-01-05T02:19:57Z")

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What exactly is the white coating on the skin of a Salami?  
Mold?  
Fungus?  
What is it’s purpose?

phox

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505/2 "2001-01-05T02:22:06Z")

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Depends on what the salami has been used for before you encounter it…

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505/3 "2001-01-05T02:58:54Z")

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I was gonna ask **JDT** but he’s gone. 🙂

I’ll be shocked if it isn’t a mold.

I would doubt that there is a purpose, as that would imply intent on the part of someone/thing to make something happen. What can’t it just be that mold grows on stuff which has been exposed to the air too long. Check my fridge. _ipso facto_

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**Author:** ![jeyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a4c791/32.png) [@jeyen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeyen)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505/4 "2001-01-05T03:11:20Z")

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The USDA says:

“Some salamis – San Francisco, Italian and Eastern European types – have a characteristic thin, white  
mold coating.”

See [http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/FAQ/hotlinefaq1.htm](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/FAQ/hotlinefaq1.htm).

Now as for how the mold gets there…

Jeyen

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**Author:** ![Kipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kipper)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-white-powdery-stuff-on-the-skin-of-a-salami/48505/5 "2001-01-05T04:14:23Z")

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Yup it’s mold.

Properly made salami is a fermented meat product, it needs no refigeration and was orginally a way of storing meat for the winter, rather like beef jerky.

I suspect that in many supermarkets they only put it in the chiller bacause it’s either crap or people wouldn’t but it otherwize.

Personally I like my salami hung up so it gets nice and dry and chewy…Mmmmmm.