The Best Way To Tell If Cream Cheese Has Gone Bad

We've all done it — you purchase eight ounces of cream cheese for a recipe, then don't end up using the entire block. You wrap up the remaining cream cheese and store it in the refrigerator. Then somehow, you forget about that portion of cream cheese until you need it for a morning bagel or another recipe. It is then that you realize you don't remember how long it has been in the fridge. Now what?

According to Does It Go Bad, cream cheese can last a few weeks past the date stamped on its packaging. So, your days-old cream cheese may still be good. There are several ways to determine whether that block of cream cheese is still edible. So, before you toss it in the trash, put that cream cheese to the test. This is how to know whether it is still good or if you should chunk it.

Does It Go Bad explains that the signs of spoiled cream cheese may be apparent. Just use your senses to determine whether it is spoiled. Signs that your cream cheese has gone bad include changes in appearance and color, such as yellowing, mold specs, slime, or dryness. Lucky Belly warns that the spoiling process has begun if you see dried-out places on the cream cheese with larger pools of liquid. Odors that smell tangy, sour, pungent, or moldy also reveal spoilage. Avoid consuming the product if any of these characteristics apply.

So, how long will cream cheese last in the fridge? Taste of Home says that unopened cream cheese packages last up to one month past the date printed on the box. Once opened though, it should be consumed within 10 days. Street Smart Kitchen informs us that opened cream cheese can last one to two weeks in the fridge and two months in the freezer.

However, the outlet cautions that consuming spoiled foods leads to foodborne illness. When in doubt, throw it out. Make sure to inspect the food thoroughly before eating because no one wants an upset stomach.