Cheese Question

Open it, smell it, let your dog taste it. Wait a week and see what happens to the mutt.

It's probably okay. A taste won't kill you anyway. We bring it home like that fairly frequently.

It's probably fine if it's sealed. In China we were startled to see cuts of meat and fish, vacuum-sealed, on unrefrigerated shelves at grocery stores. As Ed said, let smell and taste be your guide.

By keeping it in the fridge,the life of the cheese will last much longer.
We brought about 20 lbs. of cheese back home from Switzerland in March,and what we haven't eaten, is still good.[We'd have seen mold growing on it by now, otherwise]If it wouldn't have been refrigerated, it would've been gamey long ago.
Dairy products will spoil.

My dad went to cheese making school in Switzerland back in the early 50's before he and mom came to America in '55. I can speak from what I have seen in dad's cheese factory growing up.

In China, you're lucky if the meat and fish are vacuum packed--often they sit out with no ice or refirgeration in open front shops! Still, I've eaten my share of meat and fish in China with no problems. I'm just glad that in a restaurant I can't see where the meat originated from that morning...

LOL, I know what you mean!

If it was in a sealed package, it did not need to be in the fridge, but once you open it, it will last longer if kept in the fridge, that is my opinion. My husband thinks that cheese is good even if it as molds on it!

I don't know if cheese can go bad, or how you would know if it did. If cheese gets moldy, they just charge more for it. What about Gorgonzola or Limburger.

I have appointed myself the vacuum packaging expert on this board. From here on out, any cryovac questions and answers must go through me.

Your cheese is probably fine, but fine because it's cheese, not because of the packaging. Cheese can stay at room temp longer than we think it can, although the softer the cheese, the quicker it will spoil. Mold is not the only sign of spoilage in soft cheeses. The package puffing up is also a sign of bacteria growth. The problem with cryovac packaging, aside from the general public perception that since it is packaged that it must be fine, is that moisture is sealed in and air is sealed out. Those aging cheeses you see are out in the open, and air is keeping them dry. In fact, some bacteria, thrive in an anaerobic, reduced oxygen environment.

People, never buy or eat fresh (unsmoked) meat or fish that is stored or displayed at room temperature. I don't care if you see the locals doing it-DON'T EAT IT!

About your Swiss cheese, of course, when in doubt, throw it out. But I think you could eat a little, see if you have any side effects, and eat the rest a few days later.

Our local cheese shop will vacuum seal everything if you ask them to. Couple weeks ago I bought a bunch of aged grana padano for the wife to take with her on her trip home (Philippines) and I asked the guy how long it would remain good for if it wasn't refridgerated. His reply was "Oh, 16 months or so".

Not sure how accurate this is, just telling you what he told me. I'm guessing the aged, hard cheeses would last longer than a young, soft cheese of course.

You are fine - as the son of a swiss cheese maker from Emmental (the real swiss cheese) - you will be fine. If any "green spots" show up they can be cut off but if it is an aged cheese youre fine. Once you get home - put it in the fridge or even freezer if you dont want to eat it all at once. Just make sure its zip locked if you put in freezer - but zipped in fridge is fine,

Tom, I agree that the cheese she brought home, unrefrigerated for a few days, is probably fine. What disturbs me is that people seem to think there is some magic in cryovac packaging, that, ta da, it no longer needs refrigeration, or it can make contraband legal in customs inspections, etc. Consider that packaging to be no more safe than being in a plastic deli cup with a lid. Vacuum packaging just makes it less likely to leak.