How can I know if the cheese has gone bad?

Question

Other than its physical changes.

Answer 1

This sounds gross, but it is based in fact ---when many cheeses are past their prime they will have a pungent, foot-like odor. This is usually evident even before mold appears on the outside surfaces of a block of cheese. If you encounter that "foot smell" on shredded cheese, throw it out. If you have a firm-textured cheese such as cheddar, the outside surfaces can be cut away and the inside portions will still be usable. If you come across a foul odor on soft cheeses such as brie, Saga or other soft blue cheese you should throw it away as the cheese will be mostly spoiled.

Answer 2

Interesting question... Cheese is already fermented (so it smells like spoiled milk), salted and relatively dry so not many bacteria can grow in it. So I wouldn't be surprised if the answer is cheese doesn't go bad.

I had a college roommate who ate cheese even if it got moldy. He had no problems eating the mold too. He was French so I figured he knew cheese.

For me, I guess I'm more picky. If it changes texture... hard cheese to soft or grows mold (although you can cut that part off).. it's in the trash.

Answer 3

Physical characteristics is the most significant factor. If it looks bad (white mold, crumbly, rubbery, or damp) and you can't cut off more than a 1/2 inch off of it, and it looks bad still, then it's all bad. The smell is then significant but you have to note that mild cheese smells different than aged cheese.
The taste is next, if it tastes like mold, it probably is bad. But also note that as cheeses ages, it turns into a different kind of cheese (mild ages to medium, medium is then called aged, they just cut off the mold on the outside). White cheeses just look bad and are rubbery or damp.
When in doubt, throw it out.

Answer 4

Mostly by a poncy smell or mold or even sum time the crust get slimy that is the way to detect a bad cheese. Sum time the only way is to taste a small piece if is sour than do not use.

Answer 5

You can always know cheese has gone bad by the smell of it. When it is gone bad the smell would be very bad too.

Answer 6

The two ways I can tell if cheese has gone off is mold and horrible smell.

Answer 7

instead of taste testing it smell it and compare it to the smell of other cheeses. Don't taste test unless you want to get sick. French cheese is the only good kind by the way, and cheese on pizza.

Answer 8

if theres pressure under the seal or a lot of air under the package it most likely gone bad. Also if theres a really bad smell, then its harmful.

Answer 9

If you can't even carve away the mold to find fresh cheese

Answer 10

You read the expiration date and see if that date has passed yet!