White powder on Chinese Sausage

A friend had told me about a white powder like substance on her chinese sausage. Is it safe? Mould? She has kept the sausages in a ziplock bag at the bottom of her fridge since Feb (when I gave it her!). It's not processed in a factory, rather by a mom-and-pop shop in San Francisco.

Any idea if it's safe to eat?

I've often seen a white powder, which I did assume was a type of mold, forming on salami, and I've always eaten it to no obviously ill effect. Still, I'd say, if it looks odd and inedible, I wouldn't take the chance and I would dump the sausage.

CrazyC wrote:It's not processed in a factory, rather by a mom-and-pop shop in San Francisco.

Any idea if it's safe to eat?

Mom and pop shop in SF probably means dry cure Chinese sausage, the type one sees hanging over the butcher counter in Chinese grocers. As Hammond said white mold on a dry cure sausage, such as salami, is not cause for culinary concern. If the Chinese sausage is the 'wet' type that comes 8 or 10 to a cryovac pack and white mold occurs toss immediately.

To once again echo Hammond, regardless of type, if it looks odd, inedible, has an off odor or there is the slimmest chance the Chinese sausage has gone bad toss in the garbage.

Enjoy,
Gary

My heroes!

I ended up sticking them back in my refrigerator.

Ok you saved them but WHEN are you actually going to eat them? I bet you end up tossing them out eventually since you have not used them since you got thme in February.

White mold on salami is Penicillium because the casings are treated with it to prevent spoilage and is fine to eat. Not sure if it's the same for the Chinese sausage.

I see a lot of white powder on hard sausages/salami that I buy in Wisconsin. Never on soft. I always considered it something to do with the casing.
I wish I knew more about imported sausage to have an opinion.

as others up thread opine, white mold on dry-cured salamis is penicillium secreting lactic acid; not harmful

just getting back from opening our first store on the west coast, distribution issues favored us with Columbus products, many of which come enveloped in lactic molds

beautiful products, but a pain to peel

I'd just as soon eat the mold, a la soft-ripening bries, than spend time carving those things

Would this affect someone allergic to penicillin?

I'm generally able to wipe the powder off with a damp, warm paper towel. I then let the sausage air for a bit. Am I slowly killing myself?

BR wrote:Would this affect someone allergic to penicillin?

I'm allergin to penicillin and I've never noticed any ill effects but obviously, that's entirely anecdotal.

=R=

Was the chinese sausage ever eaten?