YUCK! Will Eating Moldy Cheese Make Me Sick?

[Christine]

I was just eating my spaghetti topped with parmesan when I noticed it had an *off* taste. Didn't think much of it. I was then looking into the parmesan container and noticed the cheese looked a little dirty. Then I took a sniff of it and it kind of smelled like ammonia. Oh God, I ate the stuff. Fixed a second plate of spaghetti without the cheese and it tasted fine. Can moldy cheese make me sick? I want to know if I need to prepare myself for praying to the porcelin god tonight!

 

[two4ruff]

Hopefully you didn't eat enough to make you sick...

Good luck!

 

[iloveeeyore]

I eat bleu cheese all the time and it doesn't make me sick...kind of gross when you think about it, though.

 

[Christine]

Well, I eat blue cheese all the time too, but I thought that was a *better* kind of mold???? Not sure though.

 

[helenabear]

Not sure how true it is, but I was told that mold in cheese is usually penicillan (sp?) and so it shouldn't be too bad for you. I know I've eaten moldy whipped cream before (a good portion) and was totally fine. I hope you will be too

 

[yourtravelpro]

Mold was instrumental in the discovery of an important antibiotic: penicillin. So does that mean molds are good for you? Absolutely not, in most cases.

Some molds cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. And a few molds, in the right conditions, produce "mycotoxins," poisonous substances that can make you sick. When you see mold on food, is it safe to cut off the moldy part and use the rest? To find the answer to that question, delve beneath the surface of food to where molds take root.


How should you handle food with mold on it? Don't sniff the moldy food, just breathing it in can trigger allergies and respiratory problems in some individuals. Discard food that is covered with mold by wrapping it in a paper or plastic bag and dispose in a covered trash container that children and animals can't get into. Clean the refrigerator or pantry at the area where the food was stored. Check nearby items the moldy food might have touched. Mold and its roots spread quickly and deep into fruits and vegetables. Finally, wash your hands thoroughly after handling the moldy foods.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>I used to work at Hickory Farms, and was told there that mold on cheese has penicillan in it - we used to eat it on purpose when we used to trim the cheese for the customers, but not much. Good thing we only ate a little, too, because I just researched on the web, and it says you should trim off mold on hard cheeses & toss soft/semi-soft cheeses when they get moldy.

Having said that, if you ate just a bit and are not allergic, you should be fine.