What causes mold on cheese?

Answer 1

leaving it in the fridge to long.

Answer 2

There are several reasons why some cheese mold quicker than others Probably the biggest reason is moisture levels. The higher the moisture (made of whey) the softer and also the more likely to mold.

Not all Cheddars are made the same, for example, and therefore some Cheddars are softer and are likely to mold more quickly. The levels of moisture posted on the cheese labels are a maximum and the only way to get an exact moisture level in each cheese sample is to ask a lab to check moistures. The degree of softness will be a general indicator of higher moisture.

The quality of packaging will affect molding rates. An open package provides lots of air which in turn allows the mold to grow, a "leaker" will allow mold to grow but not as quickly as an open package. And a perfectly air tight vacuum package will virtually eliminate mold growth until opened.

Occasionally cheese manufacturers get a mold infection in their plant and the mold spores float through the air and can infect the cheese before packaging and then cause a batch of cheese to mold more quickly than a similar vat with the same moisture levels. Cheese Plants can treat this problem of mold on equipment and in the air using a "bomb" that releases an anti mold ingredient and clears the building and equipment of mold spores.

Answer 3

There are a number of fungi that normally live in the air around us and in the refrigerator. Given time, they will grow and thrive on the food in the fridge, including your cheese. Some are harmless but others can make you very ill. Remember that there are invisible roots of the mold that extend very deep into the cheese, even though the fuzzy stuff just looks like it's on the surface. You're best to throw it out.

Answer 4

Exposure to spores.

Answer 5

your dirty hand