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From: estes@ttrda.UUCP (Edward Estes )
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: mold on cheese
Message-ID: <121@ttrda.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 17:36:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttrda.121
Posted: Mon Jul  1 17:36:35 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 06:48:01 EDT
Organization: AT&T Teletype Corp., Skokie, IL
Lines: 46

In reference to the question of scraping mold from cheese,
"Completely Cheese", Warner Books says:

    Until recently it was thought that if mold was found on the surface
    of a piece of cheese, it was perfectly safe to scrape off the
    mold and then use the cheese as originally planned.  According to
    the FDA, however, scientific evidence indicates that this may not
    be a wise practice.

    ...

    As molds grow, they *sometimes* produce substances called
    *mycotoxins*, and the consumer has no way of knowing whether the
    mold growing on a particular cheese produces them.  Some mycotoxins
    have been shown to produce cancer in animals, and their effect on
    humans in not yet known; to be absolutely safe it would be best
    to avoid cheese molds completely.

    . . . [T]he mold itself can be a source of trouble.  Some individuals
    have allergic reactions to molds . . .  Certain mold species can
    cause serious and possibly fatal human and animal infections in
    such body areas as the sinuses, eyes, ears, and repiratory tract.

    ...

    . . . [P]ackages of cheese should be inspected in the store before
    purchasing.  If packages are moldy, they should not be purchased
    and should be pointed out to the store manager, who in turn should
    remove them from display and discard them.  To be certain of no
    danger, the same should be done for cheese in the home:
    *moldy cheese should be discarded*.  Note that simply cutting
    away the mold does *not* remove any possible problems, because
    fungi have roots, and these roots may extend deep into the cheese.

They go on to say that blue-veined cheeses, such as Roquefort, are fine,
and should not be avoided.

As an aside the book is great.  It has just about everything you would
want to know about cheeses, from manufacture of cheese to cheese recipes.

	"Completely Cheese, the Cheeselover's Companion"
	Anita May Pearl, Warner Books, 1978

Ted Estes
AT&T Teletype Corp.
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