It's not stale.

Depending on the cheese variety, it is normal for some natural cheeses to have molds involved in the fermentation during the post-ripening period. There are even some natural cheeses that take on a unique flavor and appearance precisely because of the involvement of mold, such as the famous blue cheese.

The cheese that was the subject of the consumer complaint is a reconstituted cheese in the form of slices. Most of the raw materials used in our country for reconstituted cheese are Cheddar, which is a cheese that does not require the involvement of molds for fermentation and ripening. The process of sterilization before packaging, so in the appropriate packaging and storage conditions, the finished product should not appear in the mold growth.

No microbiological identification was done to determine what kind of mold was present in the cheese slices. The source of the mold could have been incomplete sterilization, contamination with mold during the packaging process after sterilization, or contamination during storage and distribution due to poor packaging.

Cheese is usually stored at low temperatures, where molds can grow and multiply, although slowly. Cheese can also be frozen to inhibit the growth of microorganisms to achieve a longer shelf life, a method usually used for large packages used in the food service industry.

In most cases, molds cause food spoilage and do not cause food poisoning in humans. However, some molds produce toxins, such as Aspergillus flavus which produces aflatoxin. Of course, aflatoxin contamination of cheese is very rare, so consumers need not panic.

According to the national standard "national standard for food safety," the "remade cheese" (GB 25192-2010), the number of molds in the remade cheese should be less than 50 colony-forming units/g (CFU/g); from the sensory point of view, the requirements of the normal vision without the visible foreign impurities. Therefore, the presence of mold in reconstituted cheese is not permitted and consumers are advised not to consume it.

Expanded Information

There are many types of cheese on the market, which can be categorized into natural cheese and reconstituted cheese according to their processing. Natural cheese is made from cow's milk by curdling and discharging the whey, and can be categorized into soft, semi-hard, hard or extra-hard cheeses according to the moisture content. Reproduced cheese is the natural cheese as the main raw material, adding citrate and other emulsifying salts, by heating, emulsification and other processes made of products.

The two have some differences in nutritional composition and sensory quality: natural cheese has higher protein and calcium content and lower sodium content; remade cheese has smooth taste, long shelf life, easy to carry, and can be added with different flavorings for a richer taste.

Refined cheese will be clearly indicated on the package with the word "Refined Cheese", and products labeled with milk or cow's milk in the first position of the ingredient list will be considered as natural cheese, while products labeled with cheese or cheese will be considered as refined cheese.

Because cheese is rich in nutrients, it is easy to deteriorate, and consumers should pay attention to the preservation conditions and shelf life of the products they buy. Fresh soft cheese has a high moisture content and should be sealed and refrigerated and consumed as soon as possible; semi-hard cheese can be sealed and refrigerated. Hard cheeses should be grated and refrigerated in an airtight container, or frozen if they need to be stored for a longer period of time. Strongly flavored cheeses should be packaged in airtight containers to avoid spreading the flavor.

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