Mold on food is a routine kitchen problem in the United States, but federal guidance shows it is not a one-size-fits-all safety question. The key distinction is whether the food is firm enough to keep mold from spreading deep below the visible spot. For shoppers and home cooks, that means some foods can be trimmed carefully, while many others should be discarded.
What federal food safety guidance says about moldy food The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says some molds are used to make foods such as certain cheeses, but others can produce poisonous substances called mycotoxins. FSIS states that when food is heavily covered with mold, it should be discarded, and it warns that visible mold can be only part of the contamination because roots may spread through the food. The Food and Drug Administration also says the safest practice is to discard food that is moldy.
Federal guidance draws a clear line between hard, low-moisture foods and soft, high-moisture foods. According to FSIS, hard salami and dry-cured country ham can have surface mold scrubbed off, and mold can be cut away from firm produce such as cabbage, bell peppers, and carrots. Hard chee...