Mold behind Chobani recall poses little threat to consumers

Randy Worobo is a professor of Food Science in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and a leading expert on food spoilage, and microbial food safety and quality. He comments on Thursday’s announcement of a voluntary recall by Chobani of some Greek yogurt products due to reports of mold contamination.

Worobo says:

“Mucor circinelloides is a species of mold commonly associated with fruits, vegetables and dairy that has been reported to cause spoilage like swelling and bloating in yogurt. It is not considered a disease-causing food borne microorganism.

“This mold should not pose a health risk to most consumers. Very rarely, it can act as an opportunistic pathogen, but not through food and usually only for people with compromised immune systems through inhalation. The organism is regularly used for the production of natural flavor compounds that are widely used in the food industry.”