I have a mold question for cured meats

[You Enjoy Life]

I just cured this chorizo for a little over three weeks. It's just about at the right weight loss so I'm starting to pull it. I see the good molds all over it but I notice some almost reddish color on the white mold, is that the white mold reacting with the sausage spices or something else? Is it safe to eat? It looks and smells fine especially when I cut into it. This was innoculated with bactoferm, it was hung at 55 degrees, 89% humidity.

 

[SmokinAl]

It looks perfectly normal to me.
Al

 

[BGKYSmoker]

This may help some.

This is for a more traditional style salami.

In many European countries (France, Italy and others) it is a normal occurence to see a salami with a white surface mold. This is how it has been made for hundreds of years, the mold is intentional and it contributes to the wonderful flavor of the sausage. It also protects the sausage from the effects of light and oxygen which helps to preserve color and slows down rancidity of fat. Mold covered salamis are not smoked as the smoke application will prevent molds from growing on the surface. Cold smoking sausages (below 25º C, 78º F after fermentation (after around 48 hours) will prevent mold from growing on its surface. Mold can be removed by wiping it off with a rag soaked in vinegar solution. The color of the mold should be white or off-white and not yellow, green, or black. As mold in time can grow to a considerable length it is brushed off before consumption.

Yeast and molds grow much slower than bacteria in fermented meats and sausages and they develop later in a ripening process. They utilize some of the lactic acid that was created during the fermentation stage thus increasing pH (lowering acidity) what as a result improves flavor in a slower fermented product. They don't seem to be affected by a pH drop in the fermentation stage and will grow in a vast range of temperatures (8º -25º C, 46º -78º F) as long as there is high humidity in a chamber. To ensure fast growth at the begining temperatures higher than 20º C (68º F) and humidity over 90% is required.

• Yeast - Debaromyces
• Mold - Penicillium

Nobel mold is fine white powdery (Penicillium) good mold.
Non desirable molds include black , green, brown, redish with fuzz. Green molds in the powdery state have been know to be safe.