Health ?Very old cheese?

[Martinhouse]

While digging around in the back of my fridge, I found a couple of packages of swiss cheese.

They are the sliced Sargento mild Swiss. The use by date on one package is August 2011 and the other is February 2012.

I haven't opened them, but the cheese looks and feels perfectly fine through the plastic packaging. There is a barely noticeable pinkish spot about a quarter inch in diameter on one slice.

Can anyone tell me if this cheese is safe to eat? I hate to waste any food at all, but if there's a chance it could be bad, I don't even want to give it to my chickens.

Carol

 

[moldy]

Unless it has molded (and even with that, it's debatable), it's probably good. However, it may be REALLY sharp!

 

[bbkaren]

...aka really good! :-P

I agree - I think the hazards of cheese are mold and drying out, aren't they?

If it's been in the package all this time and hasn't dried or gotten moldy, it'd appear the air hasn't hit it (or it'd have dried out, right?) so I'd say no cooties have gotten in there.

I mean, don't they age cheese in wax at room temperature for years on end? I'd use it!

 

[summerthyme]

Look carefully for more "Pinkish spots"... that's mold. And while Swiss cheese is considered a "hard" cheese, where it's still considered safe to trim moldy bits deeply *off the chunk*, these are slices... a fairly good chance that you've got mold toxins spreading. (that "aging for years on end" is only certain cheese types, AND in large wheels or barrels... not slices or small pieces)

Swiss doesn't age as well as cheddar.... about all I can suggest is tasting a small nibble, and if it still tastes sweet, it should be ok. If it has a "bite" to it, don't assume it's just "gotten sharp".... it really isn't worth the few bucks involved if it makes you sick.

Summerthyme