Americans throw away about 90 billion pounds of food every year (yikes!). No one likes trashing their food-and money-but if something in your fridge is starting to turn, how do you know whether it’s safe to eat it? If you see mold growing on food in your fridge, do you automatically need to throw it out?

Not always, according to theUSDA. Some foodscan be usedeven when they’re moldy, while others need to be discarded.

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4 moldy foods you can eat

However, if any of these are completely covered with mold, throw them away.

  1. Hard salami and dry-cured country hams

Apparently it’s normal for these products to have a surface mold. The USDA’s advice is to just scrub the mold off the surface and then use.

  1. Hard cheese made without mold

For cheeses where mold isn’t part of the processing, mold generally can’t get deep into the product. For hard cheeses, such as Asiago, Pecorino, Parmesan and Cheddar, lop off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot (to avoid cross-contamination, be careful not to touch the mold with the knife).

  1. Hard cheese made with mold

If these cheeses, such as Gorgonzola and Stilton, have a surface mold on them, you can use them if you cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot.

4.Firmfruits and vegetables.

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Foods you should toss if they’re moldy

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  1. Yogurt and sour cream

These foods have a high moisture content and so may be contaminated with mold-which have difficult-to-see, thin, threadlike branches and roots-below the surface.

  1. Some cheeses

Cheeses that are made with mold-and aren’t hard-such as Brie, Camembert and some blue cheeses, should be discarded. Soft cheeses, such as cottage and cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, etc., should also be thrown away. Also ditchall typesof crumbled, shredded or sliced cheeses.

  1. Jams and jellies

According to the USDA, the mold in jams and jellies could produce a mycotoxin (a poisonous substance that can make you sick) and so should be discarded.

4.Softfruits and vegetables

  1. Bread and baked goods

These are porous foods, so mold may also be growing below the surface.

  1. Peanut butter, legumes and nuts

Because these are processed without preservatives, they’re at high risk for mold, according to the USDA.

  1. Luncheon meats, bacon or hot dogs

If these items, which are moisture-rich, like yogurt, sour cream and produce, have mold on them, they should be discarded as the mold may also be below the surface.

  1. Cooked leftovers

The USDA advises that you discard cooked leftover meat and poultry, cooked casseroles and cooked grain and pasta that are moldy. They all have high moisture content and, thus, may be contaminated with mold below the surface.

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