Many people tend to think that sealing cheese makes it able not to turn bad for an eternity, and it makes sense why they do so. Is that really the case, though? Let’s find out!
So how long can sealed cheese sit out? As the USDA says, sealed cheese, just like every other perishable food, can sit out for only two hours to be entirely safe to eat. That’s because of the very high activity bacteria have at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F.
But this was just a very brief answer – don’t worry, though, everything you need to know about sealed cheese and refrigeration will be uncovered in this article!
So without any further delay, let’s just jump right into it.
Table of Contents
- Can sealed cheese be left out?
- Does packaged cheese go bad if not refrigerated?
- How long does sealed cheese last unrefrigerated?
- What happens if sealed cheese is not refrigerated?
- Can sealed cheese be left out overnight?
- How long can sealed cream cheese sit out?
- How long can sealed string cheese sit out?
- How long can sealed shredded cheese sit out?
- How long can sealed parmesan cheese sit out?
- How long can sealed brie cheese sit out?
- How can you tell if sealed cheese is bad?
- How do you keep sealed cheese fresh?
- What happens if you eat bad sealed cheese?
- Summary
- Resources
Can sealed cheese be left out?
Even though sealed cheese can be left out, it shouldn’t be left out for too long. According to the USDA, sealed cheese can sit out for no more than two hours before being dangerous to eat. That’s due to the fact bacteria grow exceptionally quickly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F.
Does packaged cheese go bad if not refrigerated?
In the opinion of the United States Department of Agriculture, it is dangerous to eat any perishable food left out of the fridge for two hours or more. So yes, packed cheese goes bad if not refrigerated; to be precise, it goes bad if not refrigerated for more than two hours.
How long does sealed cheese last unrefrigerated?
According to the USDA, sealed cheese lasts unrefrigerated for just two hours. That’s because of the extremely high activity bacteria have at room temperature, making eating it after it was left out for a longer dangerous. Therefore, you always have to make sure your sealed cheese is in the fridge.
What happens if sealed cheese is not refrigerated?
Because of the extremely high activity bacteria have at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, what happens if sealed cheese is not refrigerated is that it will spoil in a short while. As the USDA says, sealed cheese is dangerous to eat just after any more than two hours of sitting out.
Can sealed cheese be left out overnight?
As we have explained above, sealed cheese should never sit out for more than two hours because the high activity of bacteria at room temperature makes it dangerous to eat after that. Therefore, sealed cheese can’t be left out overnight since that usually means much more than two hours.
How long can sealed cream cheese sit out?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, you should never let your cream cheese sit out for more than two hours. The reason for that is the very high activity bacteria have at room temperature, making the sealed cream cheese dangerous to eat after a longer time without refrigeration.
How long can sealed string cheese sit out?
In the opinion of the USDA, sealed string cheese can sit out for no more than two hours to be completely safe to eat. That’s because bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature, resulting in perishable food like cheese spoiling in just a matter of a few hours.
How long can sealed shredded cheese sit out?
According to the USDA, sealed shredded cheese should never sit out for more than two hours, just like any other perishable food. Since bacteria grow exceptionally quickly at 40 °F – 140 °F, eating it after a longer time may be dangerous, so you’d better just toss that sealed shredded cheese out.
How long can sealed parmesan cheese sit out?
As the United States Department of Agriculture says, no perishable food should be left out of the fridge for more than two hours to be safe to eat, which is due to bacteria growing very fast at room temperature. Hence, sealed parmesan cheese can’t sit out for any more than two hours before being dangerous to eat.
How long can sealed brie cheese sit out?
Since bacteria proliferate at 40 °F – 140 °F, the USDA says you should never leave any perishable food out of the fridge for more than a few hours. Because of that, sealed brie cheese cannot sit out for any more than two hours because it may be dangerous to eat after that amount of time passes.
How can you tell if sealed cheese is bad?
If you’ve had some sealed cheese for a while now, checking it out before eating it is highly recommended. To tell if sealed cheese is bad, look for any signs of mold or disgusting odor. If you’ve noticed anything of that kind, throw the sealed cheese away as soon as possible; otherwise, it should be good to go, though.
How do you keep sealed cheese fresh?
If you want to keep your sealed cheese fresh, fortunately, there’s not much you have to do. Due to the fact it’s, obviously, already sealed, the only thing you have to do to keep sealed cheese fresh is put it into the fridge.
That’s because every perishable food, including sealed cheese, might be dangerous to eat just after any more than two hours of sitting out.
What happens if you eat bad sealed cheese?
As we hope that you all already know, eating bad food is more than likely to cause food poisoning. So if you eat bad sealed cheese, you must be prepared for vomiting or a stomach ache. However, you don’t have to be worried since these symptoms shouldn’t be in any way severe.
If you start to feel it’s gotten too serious, though, don’t hesitate and call your doctor as soon as possible.
Summary
In the opinion of the United States Department of Agriculture, it is not safe to eat any perishable food left out for more than two hours. Because of that, sealed cheese should never sit out for more than two hours before being dangerous to eat. The reason for that is the exceptionally high activity of bacteria at 40 °F – 140 °F.
Related:
- How Long Can Swiss Cheese Sit Out?
- How Long Can Cheddar Cheese Sit Out?
- How Long Can Colby Jack Cheese Sit Out?
Resources
Image credits – Canva