# Is this cream cheese safe to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978 "2007-01-14T21:14:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/1 "2007-01-14T21:14:42Z")
Upon encountering mold on one end of hard cheese, I just cut the bad portion off and use the rest. Is that ok to do with soft cheeses? I have a brick of cream cheese with mold only on one end. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/2 "2007-01-14T21:41:19Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] Upon encountering mold on one end of hard cheese, I just cut the bad portion off and use the rest. Is that ok to do with soft cheeses? I have a brick of cream cheese with mold only on one end. [/QUOTE] The softer the cheese, the shorter the shelf life Cream cheese can last for 2 weeks, I am asking a girlfriend of mine right now Via IM…hang on a sec. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/3 "2007-01-14T21:43:18Z")
The USDA says to [throw it out](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Molds_On_Food/index.asp#16). ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/4 "2007-01-14T21:44:08Z")
Ok, she says it’s ok to cut off the bad end and it will be ok to go! She says it’s the same with cheese. Hope this helps! I don’t like cream cheese myself but I thought I could help if I could. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/5 "2007-01-14T21:45:55Z")
Oops, forgot the quote. > [@](#): > > Soft cheese > (such as cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.) Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all types) > > Discard > > Foods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese can be contaminated by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese can also have bacteria growing along with the mold. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/6 "2007-01-14T21:49:17Z")
[QUOTE=Number] Oops, forgot the quote. [/QUOTE] I read that too. Darn! Sorry ninetywt. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/7 "2007-01-14T21:50:22Z")
You can save it, risk it, eat it, and (best imaginable scenario) save less than a dollar off your next grocery budget. Or you can do what normal people do with dubious food and toss it now. I strongly recommend the latter. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/8 "2007-01-14T21:59:59Z")
Well, it tasted ok… ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/9 "2007-01-14T22:10:26Z")
WHERE are my manners ?? :smack: Ahem. Thank you for your replies and links. I decided to cut it off well past the end of the green. It only left a small bit, so I think that’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/10 "2007-01-14T22:13:01Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] WHERE are my manners ?? :smack: Ahem. Thank you for your replies and links. I decided to cut it off well past the end of the green. It only left a small bit, so I think that’s ok. [/QUOTE] No worries! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/11 "2007-01-15T02:34:03Z")
You still have to worry about the saturated fat! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-cream-cheese-safe-to-eat/387978/12 "2007-01-15T03:11:58Z")
Even with a hard cheese, it’s not always wise to just cut off the mold and eat it. Safe, usually. But not wise. The wrong mold alters a cheese’s flavor, sometimes subtly, sometimes blatantly. I still remember cracking open a chunk of 10 year old cheddar, only to discover mold. I lopped off as much as I could, but what remained, tho mold-free, lacked the clean sharp taste of a properly aged cheese. It was to weep!