# Why does Cottage Cheese turn pink when it molds?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 20, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394 "2001-11-20T14:47:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JungleLove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JungleLove)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/1 "2001-11-20T14:47:00Z")
When I’ve opened cottage cheese that is really out-of-date and has molded, it has bright pink spots on it.
What causes that?
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/2 "2001-11-20T15:08:01Z")
Um…because the kind of mold that tends to grow on the brand of cottage cheese that you buy happens to be pink? Mold comes in different colors, like house paint.
Not sure what you’re getting at. 😕 “Why is there mold?” or “Why is it pink?”
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### Author:  [@JungleLove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JungleLove)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/3 "2001-11-20T19:39:38Z")
Why is the mold pink? Is it something in the cottage cheese? The mold itself?
What else has pink mold?
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/4 "2001-11-20T22:52:57Z")
All About Food Mold. Google, “food spoilage molds”.
[http://www.orst.edu/food-resource/misc/mold.html](http://www.orst.edu/food-resource/misc/mold.html)
[http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/he492-1.htm](http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/he492-1.htm)
1. I have no clue _why_ it’s pink as opposed to orange or yellow or green, other than to say, “That’s the kind of mold it is.” When _my_ cottage cheese gets moldy, it’s green, so I’m guessing that you’ve got a different brand, or style, or fat content or something.
2. Don’t eat moldy food, no matter what color the mold is.
3. No clue on what else has pink mold.
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### Author:  [@ejrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ejrn)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/5 "2001-11-20T23:56:36Z")
I’ve never seen pink mold. I think you’re looking at a bacterial contamination. **Don"t** eat it.
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/6 "2001-11-21T00:44:29Z")
There are certainly pink molds out there. My guess as to why you get different colors with different brands or places is simply that processing facilities in different parts of the country will have different local species which could contaminate the product. Same with your house. You’ll have different species of molds in your area than I will in mine. Just throw it away when you see growth, and you’ll be fine.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2001, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/7 "2001-11-21T01:49:11Z")
It’s just cuter that way. 😃
My guess is, you’ve got a bad case of _Girly-Mold_! 😃
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cottage-cheese-turn-pink-when-it-molds/94394/8 "2001-11-21T02:56:27Z")
Must…not…make…yeast…infection…joke…