# Philly cream cheese "best by Jan 27" - - safe to eat?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 21, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977 "2018-03-21T18:28:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/1 "2018-03-21T18:28:44Z")
Found in the back of my fridge. Obviously left there by elves. Package hasn’t been opened. Do y’all think it’s okay to eat?
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/2 "2018-03-21T18:30:29Z")
Yes
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/3 "2018-03-21T18:39:43Z")
Agreed. But give it a good sniff after you open it, just to be sure.
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### Author:  [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/4 "2018-03-21T20:38:09Z")
Yeah, your nose is better than a label.
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/5 "2018-03-21T21:12:08Z")
“Best by” doesn’t mean “deadly after” y’know!
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/6 "2018-03-21T21:12:27Z")
And look to see if it has any mold, of course. But if it’s never been opened, it almost certainly doesn’t.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/7 "2018-03-21T21:16:02Z")
Concur. Most likely, it is perfectly okay if it hasn’t been opened before.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/8 "2018-03-21T21:19:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> And look to see if it has any mold, of course. But if it’s never been opened, it almost certainly doesn’t.
Philly Blue Cream Cheese isn’t a thing?
_urk_
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/9 "2018-03-21T21:31:38Z")
I’ve eaten cream cheese much older than that and survived. Almost certainly good.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/10 "2018-03-21T21:32:37Z")
Yes, examine for discoloration or degradation. If in the least bit concerned, pitch it.
Cream cheese is different from hard cheese; if you have a piece of hard cheese with a little mold on it, you can cut that off and the rest of the cheese is fine. Cream cheese is so spongy and soft that if it has anything wrong with it, even a tiny corner, it’s all gonna be bad.
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/11 "2018-03-21T21:32:57Z")
When in doubt, throw it out.
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/12 "2018-03-21T22:00:55Z")
What you found, chug it down.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/13 "2018-03-21T22:03:23Z")
> [@snowthx](#):
>
> When in doubt, throw it out.
Given the actual incredibly low rate of food-borne illness from products being past their “best before” date (as opposed to due to poor hygiene in food preparation), that advice is not really very good. Especially since there’s very, very little science to support the dates so placed.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/14 "2018-03-21T22:10:35Z")
Probably not—that was 91 years ago.
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### Author:  [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/15 "2018-03-21T22:31:00Z")
“Best before” and “use by” are oft confused. “Best before” is concerned with quality, “use by” with safety…though I routinely disregard either if the food in question is obviously fine.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/16 "2018-03-21T22:34:50Z")
IME cream cheese will pretty reliably develop green fluffy spots when it goes bad. There are several pounds of it in our fridge right now which will probably outlast this presidency.
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/17 "2018-03-21T22:36:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> Given the actual incredibly low rate of food-borne illness from products being past their “best before” date (as opposed to due to poor hygiene in food preparation), that advice is not really very good. Especially since there’s very, very little science to support the dates so placed.
Granted, the “best before” dates are there to protect the company more than any thing else. But, the OP was concerned enough to ask a bunch of random people on the internet, and a new brick of the stuff is, what, $2? Just throw it out and get a fresh one that is not almost 2 months past it’s prime.
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/18 "2018-03-21T23:29:09Z")
I’m a believer in the sniff test as well as looking for furry spots. My nose has never let me down.
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### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/19 "2018-03-21T23:33:48Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#):
>
> I’m a believer in the sniff test as well as looking for furry spots. My nose has never let me down.
I agree with you - but that is the same confirmation bias that leads people like me to say I never wore seatbelts/bike helmets/etc and I’m still alive - the ones who died of course aren’t here to say so.
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### Author:  [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philly-cream-cheese-best-by-jan-27-safe-to-eat/810977/20 "2018-03-22T00:36:07Z")
In my experience, cream cheese gets green mold. Very easy to see.
I’ve cut the bad spots off and eaten it when necessary. Never had a problem.
Ymmv
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