Fresh cheese is highly susceptible to spoilage thus a contributor to both retail and consumer food waste. Traditionally, sorbates and propionates are used to inhibit common mold and yeast spoilage organisms. However, consumer demand for clean label necessitates adopting alternative measures to preserve food. The study objective is to investigate bacterial cultures efficacy in delaying mold outgrowth in cottage cheese. Cottage curd and dressing were sourced from a manufacturer in New York. Dressing was inoculated with 3 different commercial protective cultures (of Lactobacillus spp. designated PC1, PC2, and PC3) following manufacturer recommended dosage. Curd was added to dressing and mixed. A positive control (PC) with no protective culture was included. Eleven species of mold spanning 5 genera (Penicillium commune, P. citrinum, P. decumbens, P. roqueforti, P. chrysogenum, Mucor racemosus, M. genevensis, Aureobasidium pullulans, Aspergillus cibarius, Phoma dimorpha, and Trichoderma amazonicum) were each spotted on the surface of separate cheese samples at a rate of 100 cfu/5 g of cheese. Samples were stored at refrigeration temperature (6 ± 2°C). Cheese was evaluated visually for mold growth at 0, 7, 14 and 21 d post-inoculation and photographed. Negative control showed no growth through 21d. P. decumbens, A. cibarius, and T. amazonicum did not show growth in treatments or control. For A. pullulans and Mucor strains, all treatments showed full mold growth by 14d. For P. commune, PC, PC2 and PC3 showed full mold growth by 14d, while PC1 showed only matt appearance indicative of partial growth by 21d. For P. citrinum and P. dimorpha mold growth was detected only in PC by 21d. PC1 delayed matt appearance for P. roqueforti at 14d. P. chrysogenum was inhibited by PC1 while PC, PC2 and PC3 showed full mold growth at 21d. The results suggest potential efficacy of PC1 in delaying outgrowth of P. commune, P. chrysogenum, P. roqueforti, P. citrinum and P. dimorpha, and of PC2 and PC3 against P. citrinum and P. dimorpha in cottage cheese compared with positive control. Overall, protectives culture should be evaluated against molds specific to cheese type and facility to ensure efficacy.