POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Nutrition & HIV => Topic started by: hypozsc on October 08, 2006, 09:23:58 am
-
Yesterday I ate a sandwich which had a slice of Muenster cheese on it. I later discovered that some of the cheese had a spot of mold on it and the expiration date was in August. There were several of us who ate the same food and today (as far as I know) no one is ill. No one noticed anything bad about the taste of the sandwich. This was grocery store bought cheese in slices and only a portion of the cheese had mold on it. How worried should I be?
-
I wouldn't be to worried about it. Many cheeses have mold on them, and we eat them...blue cheese, gorgonzola, stilton.
If you notice any stomach problems, call your doctor. But otherwise, don't worry.
Christine
-
In general, food borne illnesses can take a few hours or a few days to show up.
That said, you are probably OK. Pre-poz, I used to cut the mold off of cheese and eat it all the time (I hate waste.)
That was pre-poz. Today, I won't. Always, always, always check the expiration dates on anything you buy.
As Christine said, if you start to notice problems, call your doc right away. Otherwise, chalk it up to a lesson well learned.
Just as a side note, if your CD4s are below 250, it is better to forego the "moldy" cheeses such as bleu, Camembert, Roquefort, Stilton, etc. They can contain a bacteria that is not a problem for healthy immune systems but could be if you have a compromised immune system.
Just an FYI.
HUGS,
Mark
-
Oh, for goodness sake. Cheese basically IS mold... curdled milk. Many good cheeses have mold all over the rind, you just cut it off.
The US does ban raw milk cheeses aged under 60 days, as do some other countries. Unfortunately this means I can't indulge myself with French epoisses as it's aged 30 days and stinks to high heaven, but I swear it's out of this world. It's somewhat referred to as the "best cheese" in France and the favorite of epicureans. Can't wait to go to France in the Spring and eat some.
I think though that if one's blood numbers aren't that great you would want to avoid such indulgences anyway. Kind of like sushi -- well, maybe... I don't know. Maybe someone here can comment on HIV and eating raw milk cheeses under 60 days aged. Since you can't legally buy it in the US I doubt the subject comes up much but maybe someone posting from Europe will comment.
-
Oh, for goodness sake. Cheese basically IS mold... curdled milk. Many good cheeses have mold all over the rind, you just cut it off.
Quoi?? Cut the mold :o???? but..., it's the best part!!!
well, sometimes.
Personally I can't fathom eating Camembert without the rind, and I am talking producer's fromage, not some pasteurized ersatz like President (an industrially made Camembert).
On my doctor's advice I've cut down heavily on the cheese, mostly to lower the amount of fat that my liver and gall bladder had to deal with, but being a vegetarian I have to have my protein intake so I eat it with moderation. I regularly buy organic raw milk fresh cheese from the market; it is no older than a week or so and probably full of bacteria that my intestines don't seem to have a problem with. IT'S ALIVE! :o
Now if I had very low CD4's I would probably ask my doc about it. Like most other foods in fact.
I believe that the bacteria Aztecan is referring to is Listeria. There have been cases, very few, over the years here, and a few people have died or been very sick. Not sure about their HIV status...
Such outbreaks are very rare and things get under control very quickly. Funny thing is that some processed industrial stuff has been the culprit as much as cheese made locally.
Epoisse is one very fine cheese indeed but the next time you go to France why not try Langres? It has a golden rind, is runny but not too much and a strong smell; slap it on a piece of walnut rye bread and chuck it down with a little Vaqueras or Lirac (Rhône Valley wines)... bliss.
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n230/frenchpat/langres.gif)
Quite frankly, I don't have a problem if cheese kills me before HIV does ;D
Pat
-
Langes -- I'll look for it. I'll be going to visit with friends in Lyon in the Spring and I'm sure we'll spend some time in the car out in the countryside tasting cheeses and wines. Though I won't be anywhere in the region they produce it I'll be sure and try some out at the fromagerie. My numbers are quite good at the moment so I won't have to worry about anything while there.