Some American cheese I bought at the deli and had them slice it,

[raccoon]

apparently will last forever. I've had it a good while (refrigerated) and it still hasn't molded. If I'd bought a packaged block of cheese it would've molded long ago.

Reckon it's safe to eat?

[raccoon]

1. What's the matter with yall? Don't you even CARE if I eat unsafe cheese? nt

[jobycom]

5. Sure we care.

But none of us is going to risk a lawsuit by advising you on it. :P

[petronius]

6. Not really.

I care if I eat unsafe cheese, but you're on your own... :P

Generally, I trim off visible mold (with a wide margin) and try a piece. If it tastes the way I want it to, then I chow down.

[doc03]

2. Try some today and if you are still alive

tomorrow it is safe to eat.

[raccoon]

3. Hmmm. nt

[doc03]

4. That's about what I read about mushroom hunting a while back

They said if you are unsure if a mushroom is safe to try small piece today and if it doesn't make you sick they are (probably) OK.

[Demoiselle]

7. Is mold the only sign of badness? (My answer to your question is I don't know!)

[nadine_mn]

8. wait some mold on cheese is good - isnt that bleu cheese?

maybe if it smells bad - oh wait doesn't some cheese smell bad too?

crap - apparently all cheese is bad and good

[elleng]

9. Bleu cheese IS mold! Can't stand it!

and yes, all cheese is bad and good! I heard once that Chinese call it 'rotten milk!'

[hippywife]

12. Man, Ellen!

Turn in your foodie card right the fuck now! Bleu cheeses are awesome! :9



:hi:

[elleng]

13. Sorry, Love, but CAN'T STAND THEM, EVER!

Gruyere, now THAT's a cheese!
(AND a lovely little Swiss village!)



And ParmaGIANA!!!



and Cheddar!

[IcyPeas]

10. the question is...

is "American cheese" really cheese or "processed cheese food"?

[HopeHoops]

11. Processed American cheese food product is NEVER safe to eat.

On the plus side, you didn't get it in individually wrapped Kraft singles.

[Nikia]

14. Probably

Processed American is generally microbiologically dead when it is made and packaged. Your deli evidently had fairly clean blades to slice it since it has not molded yet. Mold is the most likely organism to grow so the fact that there is no mold is a good sign. You'll want to smell it of course, but if that checks out, you are fine. Pathogenic bacteria does not grow on processed American, assuming that you aren't heavily contaminating it somehow.

[applegrove]

15. I worked at a health food store that wrapped and sold health food cheese. When it molded we would

just cut that part off and re-wrap it and sell it.