Shredded cheese left out all night. Is it still good?

[klmama]

The bag was opened, if that matters. Part of me says to chuck it, and the other part says to eat it. Any food safety experts here today?

[Claire]

It should be fine. Cheese doesn't spoil that quickly. It's kept in the fridge mostly so it doesn't develop mold because it contains a lot of moisture.

[Stacia]

It's fine. I would eat it.

[abbeyej]

It'll be totally fine for anything where it gets melted. It *may* have altered the texture and moisture level a bit (but you'll be able to see immediately) so that it would be less appealing in a dish where it isn't melted before serving/eating. But perfectly safe to eat.

[LaMere Academy]

I say it should be fine, pop it back in the fridge. If you notice a foul smell or molding when you pull it out again, toss it. It should be fine though, we've accidentally left some out for hours and it wasn't a problem.

[Adrianne]

If you are still worried, cook it in a dish rather than eating it raw.

 

I had a biology professor in college, a very intelligent woman, who kept cheese in her office (no fridge). She would pull it out during a conference with students and eat it with crackers. You could see that one end had surface mold on it. She would just avoid that part. If is funny what you remember about people!

[klmama]

Lunch time! :)