How Long Does Cream Cheese Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 10 days

Cream cheese is a dish made out of milk and cream. Its texture is very soft and it gives out a mild taste. Cream cheese does not mature naturally. Cream cheese is said to be consumed when it is fresh. For example, yogurt is spoilt milk. You can even eat it way past its expiry date but that is not the case with cream cheese. It is to be consumed when it’s new and fresh.

Cream cheese is otherwise called “rich cheese” cream cheese came into existence when they added cream to normal cheese production. Cream cheese is used as the cheese itself. It is spread on other foods such as bread and consumed. You have to make sure it is not spoiled and that you are using it before its expiration date because, otherwise, you will spoil your stomach. You can also check the cover of the product to see if it’s made to withstand for a longer time.

How Long Does Cream Cheese Last?

Condition Of The Container	How Long Does It Last?
An unopened cream cheese box	For up to 1 month
An opened container	The best you can eat it is after a week or at max, 10 days

The wordings in a package can get quite confusing. There is a difference between “use by” “best before” and so on. The best way to find if the cream cheese is spoiled or not is to look at its condition or do a sniff test. If it seems normal, you can consume it even after a month past its expiration date, because, cream cheese too, like other dairy products, does not get spoiled soon.

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It is important to not believe that cream cheese can still be consumed at the ten-day bar. There are many factors along with it to decide if you can consume it or not. The cheese has to always stay at a refrigerator temperature of 40 degrees. Only then will it stay fresh even after 10 days of its expiration date, when kept open. If the cheese is placed in a very hot environment, it gets spoiled soon.

These are the dates after you take a cream cheese home but in the department stores or when you store it at the right temperature, cream cheese can stay in a good condition for up to 3 to 6 months. This is otherwise termed as the “shelf life” of a product. The processing method of the cream cheese also plays a huge role. You have to be worried about this when you prepare it by yourself.

Why Does Cream Cheese Last So Long?

Cream cheese, in general, is known for its softness and mildness. This quality makes it easier for the cream cheese to get spoiled in comparison with any other dairy product. Dairy products, in general, are known to get spoiled very soon because it is made out of milk. The average limit for the storage of milk is 2 days and given the techniques of how these other products are made, they can stay up to 2 to 3 weeks after their expiry date.

The way the cream cheese is packed is more important here. Some types of cream cheese are packed in a heated kind of container which enables it to stay fresh and in a good condition even after a period of 6 months. In some cases, it can stay fresh only for a period of 3 months because, again, the container is designed to withstand it only for so long.

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Even in grocery stores, you can see that the cream cheese will always be refrigerated. Refrigeration is very important in the storage of cream cheese. All the timings given above go down to nothing if you do not refrigerate the product. Keeping it in the fridge is what will help in storing the product as long as you want.

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Conclusion

Cream cheese is generally very rich which obviously makes its fat levels higher. Cream cheese has a minimal number of proteins and even carbohydrates. The cream cheese is better compared to other kinds of spreads. If you are worried about the calories present in a piece of cream cheese, the better substitute for you is whipped cream cheese.

Although there are some benefits the cream cheese can offer, you are advised to not consume it in excess. A small piece of cream cheese has around 350 calories and there are not many proteins in it to compensate for the number of calories like in yogurt or other dairy products. Cream cheese can be consumed occasionally if you prefer its taste the most.

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