# How Do You Know When Cheese Goes Bad?



## How Do I

We found a package of Kraft Colby Cheese that got _lost_ in the fridge. Today it was _found_ with an expiration date of October 2006. Is the cheese still good? It is in an unopened/sealed package if that makes any difference and was in the back bottom of the fridge. We haven't opened it yet, so don't know if it has an off smell to it or not. _How do you really know when cheese goes bad??_


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## gone-a-milkin

Wow! I cannot imagine losing something in the fridge for 2 years (or more!):

I have teenagers...

I would open it and smell it. Does it look okay? Not moldy? I bet it has gotten 'sharper' with the extra aging. 

I just use my nose and tastebuds for testing cheese. I think mold tastes icky, therefore the cheese is BAD. Other people may think differently. Now I am curious....OPEN it!


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## darbyfamily

my mom had some cheese sticks, string cheese, that she gave us that had been in the freezer... it was about 2 yrs old and it was HORRIBLE... blech! it wasnt moldy or anything, but WOW... it was just bad!

now.. our DOG ate them and thought they were a great treat! ROFL but I wouldn't bank on 'no mold, no smell' taste it near a trash can so if you need to spit you can


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## HollyBearFarm

I have always heard that it is not possible for pathogenic (bad) bacteria to grow on cheese. So even if it tastes AWFUL (limburger, anyone?) it certainly won't hurt you.

My guess is that it will be fine. It might be a little sharper than it was 2 years ago, but it won't harm you in any way.

In fact, the reason that we Americans eat most of our cheese while it's fairly fresh is one of money. Aging cheese takes up a lot of space and delays the profit for the cheesemaker. So most cheeses are sold as soon as possible. For cheddar and colby, that's about 60 days after the milk comes out of the cow.


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## How Do I

OK. I opened it and tasted the cheese and it was _definitely extra sharp_. Too much so for my tastes. Although the small piece I ate didn't make me sick, it quickly found its way to the trash.


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