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FOOD
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HANDLING
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REASON
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Luncheon meats, bacon, or hot dogs |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing
along with the mold. |
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Hard salami and dry-cured country hams |
Use. Scrub mold off surface. |
It is normal for these shelf-stable products
to have surface mold. |
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Cooked leftover meat and poultry |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing
along with the mold. |
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Cooked casseroles |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing
along with the mold. |
|
Cooked grain and pasta |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing
along with the mold. |
Hard cheese
(not cheese where mold is part of the processing) |
Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below
the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not
cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese). After trimming off the mold,
re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap. |
Mold generally cannot penetrate deep into the
product. |
Cheese made with mold
(such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton,
Brie, Camembert) |
Discard soft cheeses such as Brie and
Camembert if they contain molds that are not a part of the manufacturing
process. If surface mold is on hard cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Stilton,
cut off mold at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot and handle like
hard cheese (above). |
Molds that are not a part of the manufacturing
process can be dangerous. |
Soft cheese
(such as cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre,
Bel Paese, etc.) Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all types) |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese can be
contaminated by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese can also have
bacteria growing along with the mold. |
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Yogurt and sour cream |
Discard |
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Moldy foods may also have bacteria growing
along with the mold. |
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Jams and jellies |
Discard |
The mold could be producing a mycotoxin.
Microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the
remaining condiment. |
Fruits and vegetables, firm
(such as cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, etc.) |
Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below
the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not
cross-contaminate other parts of the produce). |
Small mold spots can be cut off fruits and
vegetables with low moisture content. It’s difficult for mold to penetrate
dense foods. |
Fruits and vegetables, soft
(such as cucumbers, peaches, tomatoes, etc.) |
Discard |
Fruits and vegetables with high moisture
content can be contaminated below the surface. |
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Bread and baked goods |
Discard |
Porous foods can be contaminated below the
surface. |
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Peanut butter, legumes and nuts |
Discard |
Foods processed without preservatives are at
high risk for mold. |
