When Moldy Cheese Is Safe to Eat and Bread Is Not

Lori Dorn
September 3, 2026

Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out explained in a Fact Quickie clip why moldy bread should be discarded and when certain hard cheeses can still be safe to eat after the mold is cut away.

With hard cheeses, the mold has trouble penetrating deeply into the cheese. As such, you can cut a couple of centimeters off each side of the cheese and discard the moldy slices, and it should be safe to eat. …. Now, with bread, you should always throw away the bread if you discover mold on it. …Unfortunately, because bread is so porous, the mold has no trouble spreading its runner threads throughout the bread’s innards.

The USDA recommends cutting at least one inch around and below the mold on hard cheese.

The Full Video From 2017

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.