What Signs Can Tell That Blue Cheese Is Getting Bad?


Blue cheese is a specially made cheese from mammal’s milk. Its specialty lies mainly in its preparation. It has added culture of mold Penicilium which gives it a spotted look and appears blue in color. This beneficial bacterium gives it a typical smell and it can be consumed itself or can be paired with food and drinks. They are sometimes given different names like a blue cheese from Italy is named as Gorgonzola.

Making of blue cheese is not so tough if the right procedure is known. As this type of cheese has very low calorie content, so it can easily lend to lose weight. It also has high milk proteins as it prepared by coagulating milk. This type of cheese is also very effective in fighting arthritis. After its preparation it is generally stored in an environment where temperature is controlled like a cave. But like any other cheese, Blue cheese can also get rottened. To preserve cheese for long and consume it before it gets bad, it should be checked regularly keeping some points in mind.

To check the edible status of the cheese a color check is necessary. Color check does not mean checking the blue part of the cheese as the blue part of a blue cheese will remain blue. The white or slightly yellowish part of the cheese should be examined and if it appeared perfectly white then the cheese is still edible. If it appears unusually yellow or brown or pink, then one should be sure that the cheese has developed bacterial growth. The blue color appearing green can be the natural color of the cheese, but if it appears unusually green, then chances are there of the cheese getting contaminated.

Another way of testing the edibility of blue cheese is to smell it. A ripe cheese generally has an odor of buttermilk, bacon or beef. However, this type of cheese has a distinct odor of its own, but if the odor starts going off then it may smell like ammonia. Any taste of ammonia suggests that the cheese is not okay.

The cheese should be examined at a regular interval and made sure if there is any sign of change. If the cheese appears slimy and tends to break down then it means that the cheese is not safe to eat. However, your taste buds are the final and the best judge. So, just bite it slightly and judge the condition of the cheese. To avoid all these mishaps the cheese should be stored in a proper manner. A newly purchased cheese should be wrapped in a waxed paper and put inside a plastic food wrap and kept in the refrigerator. It can also be kept unwrapped in an airtight container. But it should be made sure that a few holes are poked in the lid. It is good to give some cheese to your kid as it triggers brain cells and helps in keeping the memory alive. So, growing kids are sure to be benefited from this type of cheese.