Can I Eat This? (It Is About Cheese.)

June 5, 2024 1:46 PM

Left some Sargento sliced cheese out (still sealed) for a full seven days and am too fond of cheese to get rid of it without a second guess. It has been in my fridge for awhile now. Can I eat? Or would you eat?

My aunt died and I took like five sealed packages of this cheese out of the fridge to bring home, and then forgot to. Returned a week later and retrieved them, and now they are in my refrigerator. Guessing the ambient temperature around the cheese never exceeded 75 or 80 Fahrenheit. The cheese looks normal, harmless, extremely edible.

My general view of cheese is "this is how milk was preserved before refrigeration, it's fine," but also I'm a verified idiot who seldom gets it right.

Whaddaya think? Am I eating grilled cheese for dinner tonight?

posted by kensington314 to Food & Drink (23 answers total)

if it's moldy or smells moldy, no. Otherwise, fine.
posted by theora55 at 1:52 PM on June 5

If it was still completely vacuum sealed, I do not expect there to be any risk from pathogens despite the temperature.

At that temperature, though, I'll bet there's been a change to the consistency, texture, and/or flavor. Plus, how long had they been in the aunt's fridge before you left them out, that'll affect quality as well.

However, those are, what, $5 a pack? I would toss them and make a quick trip to the grocery store to buy some fresh packs, to be confident of not getting sick and having the tastiest possible cheese.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:52 PM on June 5

I wouldn't worry at all as long as you're ok with the smell/taste. I make cheese, and your general view of cheese is correct.
posted by wheatlets at 2:02 PM on June 5

If it’s not visibly moldy, I’d eat it without hesitation.
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 2:07 PM on June 5

I have had Sargento slices go bad on me just by looking at them sideways so I don't know what kind of dark magic you have going on there, eat at your own risk.
posted by phunniemee at 2:08 PM on June 5

Too long. I would toss them. Your health is more important than $4.95.
posted by Czjewel at 2:16 PM on June 5

I wouldn’t because it’s not a hard cheese protected by a rind.
posted by warriorqueen at 2:24 PM on June 5

Hard pass. Any benefit is far outweighed by the potential risk to your health.
posted by gnutron at 2:39 PM on June 5

If par of it was moldy, I would tear off the moldy bits and eat the rest. But maybe I am more charitable toward cheese than most. 🧀❤️
posted by wenestvedt at 3:13 PM on June 5

I usually tell people on MeFi to eat whatever thing they're worried about, and I'm saying take a pass on this one.
posted by number9dream at 3:42 PM on June 5

Unless your body says no on smelling or tasting you're fine.
posted by einekleine at 4:11 PM on June 5

Vacuum sealed and not moldy, I'd eat it. But I'm on the more liberal side of things.
posted by praemunire at 5:27 PM on June 5

Noooo I would not risk intestinal trauma just for Sargento. It was unplanned cheese to begin with! You're not even out any money if you throw it away! Go buy some higher quality fresh cheese that didn't get all weird and sweaty from sitting on a counter for a week.
posted by castlebravo at 6:01 PM on June 5

It’s not high value cheese in the grand scheme and even if it’s not harmful it’s still likely to be not awesome. It is sad cheese just from circumstance. Let it go.
posted by countrymod at 7:36 PM on June 5

This is well covered in this thread but I'm offering another vote for tossing it.

And it needs to be said that sight and smell are not always reliable in predicting what we often call food poisoning!! Perfectly fine-smelling and good-looking food has made many people very sick.

I'm just now recalling a large event where the food was so good I approached the caterer to rave about how delicious and fresh everything was. Then, 48 hours later, 2/3 of the guests were out sick and some had to be hospitalized. And that food was gorgeous. You just can't tell sometimes.

But this is a time where you can tell, based on the time out of refrigeration alone, and again it's like $4.95!!
posted by knotty knots at 9:25 PM on June 5

What! Never would I eat any dairy product not kept at the proper temperature for SEVEN DAYS. Not worth the risk.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:47 AM on June 6

Pre-sliced cheese at room temp for a week? Toss. Compost happens. Better compost than food poisoning.
posted by carrioncomfort at 6:30 AM on June 6

if it smells ok, it's fine, that's what your nose is for.
posted by Sebmojo at 6:34 AM on June 6

Ew. No.
posted by hazel79 at 7:30 AM on June 6

Okay, so by my interpretation, that is eight yes, ten no, and one I will just call "phunnie."

Averaging that out . . . [does quick calculation with his idiot brain] . . . looks like I'm eating this but only melted. I'll report back.
posted by kensington314 at 9:54 AM on June 6

I'll report back.
posted by kensington314 at 11:54 AM

*glances at watch*
hey mate, u still shittin?
posted by phunniemee at 6:49 PM on June 6

Hello, apologies, had to go to a fundraiser last night where I ate surely spoiled food prepared by someone else instead.

Here is my update: I have opened a package of the Sargento Provolone and it smelled and looked like what it always does in my experience. If this goes well I will move on to the Muenster and the Baby Swiss. (My aunt apparently had an appreciation for all the world's finest cheeses.)

I made a breakfast sandwich with it (grilled sandwich of cheese and fried egg) and will report back. The results of my experiment will be compromised by the fact that I put it on some "Can I Eat It"-worthy sourdough that my friend made last weekend. Did extensive surgery on the bread and here we are.

I'll report back. The Hell No's should prepare their single dots (or any asterisk I've earned) in memoriam, and the Sure Why Not's should get ready to eat something dodgy in celebration. Phunniemee is on popcorn duty.
posted by kensington314 at 11:00 AM on June 7

Well. Three slices of provolone and 24 hours later I feel no signs of intestinal distress. All my signs of distress are non-intestinal and pre-existing.
posted by kensington314 at 10:02 AM on June 8