I have found a block of Camembert which hasn't been opened with a BB date 19 Feb, it got buried at the back of the chiller compartment. I guess this isn't safe to eat but thought I would check before throwing it out.

That is a best before date, which is different to use by. I would slice a small wedge out of it and smell it.

FYI Camembert/Bries freeze really well. I often buy them when they reduced in price, due to being close to the best before date. They thaw wonderfully and there is no visible difference in taste or texture

There will be no issue with safety but it could have become too strong in flavour. As Irene says, let your nose and then taste buds decide for you.

Thanks for your help, I don't know what I would do without Foodlovers :-)

Talking of cheese - I bought two 200g packets of well known brand Feta on special and they've sat in the fridge unopened for a couple of weeks with a 'best before' date of 6th May 2015. One pack has remained perfectly packed, but the other one's plastic pack has fully bloated and I'm getting ready to duck every time the fridge door is opened as I'm expecting it to fly with a vengance out of the fridge any time soon. I'm wondering what has caused this and whether the feta will be edible when opened. Anyone else had this problem or know why it's happened and whether it will affect the cheese at all?
Regards,
Dawn.

Just last week I used an unopened camembert that had a best before of mid-February. It was a little dry, but just fine for melting on crumbed chicken..

Dawn, I would take it back to where you bought regardless of whether you have the docket or not. If the packaging has expanded and it has a BB date well into the future, I suspect there is something wrong. If the retailer won't replace or refund, contact the producer. It's obviously defective and you shouldn't have to bear the consequences. The producer will want to know when you purchased it and the batch number, but shouldn't need proof of when you purchased it as the BB date is way ahead.

I would eat it - the smellier the better for me!

Sounds like it would be perfect for me too. My French grandfather taught me not to eat camembert or brie until the inside has turned soft and oozey. Which is usually well past best before dates. Most NZ cheeses are made from pasteurised milk and take a very long time to go soft (grumble grumble). Try it and see if you like it, it'll be safe unless you have immune issues, or are pregnant.

Good advice Lorna, except because I don't have the docket I don't feel comfortable taking it back. Plus the producer would probably want to know where I bought it to be able to check it's path from manufacturer to retailer and once again it would be only my word. I'm not worried about getting a replacement or money back, just wondered if it had happened to anyone else and whether the cheese would be in edible condition. Once I open it, I will toss the feta to be safe but I will give it the sniff test out of curiosity.
Regards,
Dawn.

For Dawn:

Ah well, might be better than nothing [ask.metafilter.com]

Also, from [tresbellechevrecheese.homestead.com] "Gassy: (1) A descriptive term for cheeses which become bloated during ripening. (2) A term for cheese in packaging which becomes bloated. Bloating of packaging may be a result of an increase in holding temperature or altitude. Bloating of cheese or cheese in packaging may indicate microbial production of carbon dioxide."

And [www.flexpack.org] promotes packaging for "respiring natural cheeses" that "extend your shelf life and consumer appeal for swiss and other respiring cheeses with Curpolene® 7019 film...[which] offer exceptional oxygen barrier while allowing the CO2 produced by respiring cheeses to outgas." It's "Improved CO2 transmission provides quick bloat recovery and consistent package draw-down."

So maybe your feta is outgassing a bit much and they haven't used Curpolene® for quick bloat recovery.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2014 01:46AM by J1.

Actually, that's quite good because in the process of doing that I've discovered the white specks I keep seeing on every second packet of tasty cheddar cheese I buy lately is just calcium lactate. "As cheese ages it emits moisture (whey and butterfat) which dries on the cheese...leaving the white powder (calcium lactate). In turn, the cheese becomes more sharp, flavourful, dry and crumbly."

I agree the smellier the better and use your nose - I am only really super cautious with chicken and rice thats been sitting around too long...

I usually regard the BB date on camembert and brie as a starting point. Wouldn't consider eating them before then, the softness doesn't kick in usually till a week or so after.