Brie, like Camembert, is a soft cheese. Its softness allows the rapid widespread growth of bacteria and moulds if the cheese is not stored correctly. It is recommended that soft cheeses such as brie be kept refrigerated. The optimal storage temperature for brie is four degrees celsius or even lower. The cheese should be kept in a tightly sealed container or tightly wrapped wax paper or plastic wrap (though this last option is not recyclable or sustainable) to avoid contact with moisture and food-spoilage bacteria which will reduce the shelf life and freshness of the product. Cheese producers specify a “best before date”, and say that the quality of the cheese will degrade beyond then. Cheese with blue or green mould may not be safe to eat; the mould may also have spread invisibly to apparently unaffected parts.