Why does cheese mold?

Ask questions about projects relating to: biology, biochemistry, genomics, microbiology, molecular biology, pharmacology/toxicology, zoology, human behavior, archeology, anthropology, political science, sociology, geology, environmental science, oceanography, seismology, weather, or atmosphere.

Moderators: AmyCowen, kgudger, bfinio, MadelineB, Moderators

Locked
honeymania19
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:18 pm

Why does cheese mold?

Post by honeymania19 »

Please answer fast. Why does cheese mold?
WJClancey
Former Expert
Posts: 64
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:43 pm
Occupation: NASA Computer & Cognitive Scientist
Project Question: n/a
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Why does cheese mold?

Post by WJClancey »

Try using an Internet search engine (e.g., Yahoo) with your question "Why does cheese mold?"

Details: With your browser, go to the web site (e.g., http://www.yahoo.com) and in the "search" box at the top, enter your question.

Bill
EmilyDolson
Former Expert
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:33 pm
Occupation: Student
Project Question: Human Impacts on Sea Otter Behavior
Project Due Date: March 2009
Project Status: I am conducting my research

Post by EmilyDolson »

Hi,

Essentially, the main reason anything will mold is that it provides a good habitat for the mold spores. Like any other living organism, mold tends to grow where it is easiest.

This site: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/19 ... .Gb.r.html provides a great, quick explanation of why cheese is often such a good environment for the mold.
Reach for the stars and, if you miss, grab the moon!
Cranky-9
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 1:11 am
Occupation: Organic chemist
Project Question: n/a
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: I am just starting

Re: Why does cheese mold?

Post by Cranky-9 »

Mold grows on cheese because there is a lot of nutrition there for it to grow. There is a trick to keeping the mold off the cheese, and this is to prevent the cheese from being exposed to air. In some cases this is done by painting the cheese with wax. In some cases, it is done by soaking the cheese with salty water, which dries out the rind of the cheese, making it less attractive for mold to grow. An alternative used by cheese makers is to scrape the mold off from time to time.

Moldy cheese comes in two types. Some have mold that grows over the surface, usually a white mold such as what appears on brie. Some have blue or green mold that grows in the interior. This is done by running thick needles through it so oxygen can get into the interior. In either case, the cheese has to be exposed to the proper mold.

Some people think that cheese is moldy milk, but it is not. Most cheese has no mold. Most cheese is made from My Local Cause milk through the action of bacteria, but not all. Mold and bacteria are not the same thing. Some of these have mold on them, but the ones that do mostly have either white penicillium mold (as on brie) or blue or green penicillium mold (as on blue cheese).

Some cheese is not even fermented; examples are queso blanko and gjetost, which are made with heat and acid, and a variety of cheeses are prepared with rennet, but without bacteria.
Locked

Return to “Grades 6-8: Life, Earth, and Social Sciences”