Food safety
Sliced cheese feels sticky or slimy: when to discard it
Slices may stick from pressure and softened fat, but a slimy film, sour odor, mold, unexpected liquid, or package swelling are reasons to discard cheese.
Quinnoa articles
Latest articles
All Quinnoa articles in one place.
Food safety
How to tell if milk is bad: smell, curds and texture changes
Milk should be discarded when sour odor, new curds, ropy or slimy texture, swollen packaging, or known temperature abuse show that freshness or safe storage has been lost.
Food safety
Liquid cream with lumps or separation: how to tell if it is bad
Cream may separate from fat movement or freezing, but persistent curds, sour odor, ropiness, slime, swollen packaging or temperature abuse indicate it should be discarded.
Fruit · Food safety
Dates with white crystals on the surface: sugar or mold?
White material on dates is often crystallized natural sugar. Dry gritty crystals are a quality change; fuzzy growth, dampness, musty or sour odor point toward mold or fermentation.
Fruit · Food safety
Raisins with a white coating: sugar crystallization or spoilage?
USDA recognizes visible sugar crystals on raisins as “sugaring.” Dry gritty white crystals differ from fuzzy mold, especially when mold is accompanied by dampness or musty odor.
Fruit · Food safety
Fresh figs leaking liquid or tasting fermented: when to discard them
Fresh figs are naturally soft and juicy, but alcohol, vinegar, fizz, cloudy leakage, watery brown collapse or mold point to souring and decay rather than normal ripeness.
Fruit · Food safety
Pomegranate with brown or soft arils: can you save part of it?
A few localized brown or soft pomegranate arils may be removable if surrounding chambers are sound. Widespread wet browning, blackened arils, mold or musty odor means discard.
Fruit · Food safety
Pomegranate with internal mold: why it may not show on the outside
Pomegranate heart rot can blacken arils internally while the rind looks only slightly abnormal. Fuzzy growth, black masses, musty odor or extensive wet decay mean discard.
Fruit · Food safety
Melon with loose seeds and slimy flesh: a sign of spoilage
Loose melon seeds can accompany ripeness, but a slimy or ropy seed cavity, cloudy liquid, fermented odor, mold or broad tissue collapse signals spoilage.
Fruit · Food safety
Banana red or pink inside: when the color can signal a problem
Unexpected red or pink flesh in a standard yellow banana is abnormal. Plant diseases, bruising or cold injury can discolor the interior; pronounced red staining is best discarded.
Fruit · Food safety
Fresh coconut with pink water or pink flesh: what it means
A light pink tint in coconut water can result from natural oxidation of phenolic compounds, but sour odor, fizz, slime, mold or damaged storage conditions point toward spoilage.
Fruit · Food safety
Coconut smells sour: how to tell if it has spoiled
A sharply sour coconut is not normal. Fermentation, rancidity, shell damage, fizz, slime or mold are reasons to discard the water and meat rather than taste-test them.