Cost of living food hack that could be causing you harm: 'Serious health risks'

So you bought a block of cheddar with the best intentions—dreaming of grilled cheese sandwiches and perfectly creamy mac and cheese. But life happened, and now you’re staring at a block of cheese that’s sporting a fuzzy green coat. What do you do?

Well, one TikToker says, “What we’re not gonna do is throw her away,” arguing that cheese shouldn’t be punished for your forgetfulness. This seems like a great solution - especially in a cost-of-living crisis where waste hits us - and our wallets - even harder.

However, Food Scientist Dr. Vincent, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that you might want to think twice before nibbling on that questionable cheddar. “When you cut off the surface of bread, fruit, or soft cheeses that has mould, you might remove the visible mould, but you don’t necessarily eliminate all the mould or its potential risks,” Dr. Vincent says.

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He explains that mould has root-like structures called hyphae, which can penetrate deep into the food—even if you can’t see them. So, while the mould on the surface may be gone, those pesky hyphae could still be lurking below.

With this in mind, let’s turn to Dr. Dana, a social media medico known for dishing out practical health advice on TikTok. In response to the viral video questioning whether you can cut the mould off cheese and still eat it, Dr. Dana weighed in with her own expert opinion and the answer, it turns out, is a bit of a mixed bag.

“Yes and no,” says Dr. Dana. “Mould is like an iceberg. Where there’s some bits you can see on top, deeper is more mould that you can’t see with the naked eye.”

So, what does that mean for your beloved block of cheddar? Dr. Dana explains that with hard cheeses like cheddar, you can actually cut out at least one inch around and below the mouldy spot. The rest of the cheese should be safe to eat since the mould doesn’t penetrate as deeply into denser cheeses. Sounds like a win, right? But before you grab that knife, here’s where it gets tricky.

According to Dr. Dana, the problem with the original TikTok video is that the mould on the cheese presented is way too extensive to simply cut away.

The rules for soft cheeses

For softer cheeses like brie or cottage cheese, the rules are even stricter. Dr. Dana warns that if you see mould on these, there’s no telling how deep it really goes. Soft cheeses have high water activity, which not only allows mould to grow but can also support harmful bacteria. “If you see mould on soft cheese, the whole thing goes right in the trash,” she says. The same goes for shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese—no ifs, ands, or buts.

And here’s the kicker: while the original TikTok poster did eat the cheese and lived to tell the tale, Dr. Dana makes it clear that if you’re immunocompromised or have allergies to mould, it’s not worth the risk. “Throw out any cheese that has mould on it,” she advises.

How does mould affect other foods?

And it just gets worse. Mould spreads through spores, which are tiny, airborne particles that can easily disperse across the food. Dr. Vincent points out that cutting off the visible mould doesn’t remove these spores, which can remain on the food and continue to grow. Plus, when you use a knife to cut off the mouldy part, you risk cross-contaminating the rest of the food. The seemingly clean part might not be so clean after all!

Then there’s the small issue of mycotoxins—nasty toxins produced by some moulds that can seep into the food beyond where the visible mould is. Removing the surface mould won’t necessarily get rid of these toxins, which Dr Vincent explains can "pose serious health risks" if ingested.

And if you’re thinking of applying this concept to bread or fruit, think again. Dr. Vincent advises that foods with higher moisture content are especially vulnerable, as mould can spread more easily throughout them.

The final verdict on mould

So, what’s the verdict? As Dr. Vincent puts it, “cutting it off often just doesn’t cut it.” It’s generally recommended to discard mouldy bread, soft cheeses, or fruit entirely, rather than just cutting off the mouldy part, to avoid the risk of consuming mould or mould-related toxins. Your best bet? When in doubt, throw it out.

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So while it might be tempting to salvage that block of cheddar or brie by trimming off the mould, it’s safer to err on the side of caution. After all, no one wants to play a guessing game with mould—and as Dr. Dana and Dr. Vincent have shown, the risks just aren’t worth it. So next time you find some forgotten cheese at the back of the fridge, remember: cutting corners isn’t always the best approach!

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