kids ate expired cheese. help?

[icxcnika]

Okay, so usually I am an obsessive expiration-date checker at the store. But yesterday I was in a hurry and didn't check the date on the cheddar cheese I was buying (cheese sticks, in plastic like string cheese, but cheddar). Today the kids wanted a snack, so I gave the older two each a cheese stick. After eating half, my oldest said it tasted funny. I told them not to eat the rest of the pieces, looked at the package, and it said EXPIRATION DATE JUNE 1, 2010. WTF. It is now AUGUST 5. I bought it YESTERDAY. I am so mad (and it is difficult to make me angry).

Called poison control, who said they may be fine, but if they develop symptoms of food poisoning, to call the doctor. I am FREAKING OUT.

Part of me thinks that "well, cheese is suppposed to be aged anyhow, and I know people sometimes eat expired things anyway with no problems," but OH MY GOODNESS, PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE.

Thank you so much.

[tessie]

If they were going to puke they'd likely have done so within a couple of hours. I honestly wouldn't stress about it now.

I never check the date on cheese and have been known to cut the mould off cheddar rather than chuck it.

[ivymae]

Well, call the store and let them know you will be bringing it in for a refund and that they need to pull the rest, but otherwise take a few deep breaths, everything will be fine. Worst case scenario they may be pukey tonight, but I highly HIGHLY doubt it. My DD1 ate a cheese stick that had been in the car unfridgerated, expired, for.. months?.. a few weeks ago (still in the wrapper, was lost between her carseat and the wall of the car), and was fine.

[A&A]

It's cheese. They should be fine.

[EviesMom]

Generally I think cheese is just going to taste yucky, not be a big health hazard when out of date/spoiled. At worst, it would be stomach upset. I can't think of any big food poisoning illnesses that are harbored by cheeses.

[SuburbanHippie]

Cheese should be fine. Even if it was moldy, you just cut off that section and the rest is fine (hard cheese, not soft).

[TheGirls]

If it wasn't moldy I wouldn't worry. Return it for a refund, sure, but I wouldn't panic about the kids eating it. They'll likely be fine, espeically if they aren't showing symptoms of anything.

We are not obsessive date-checkers here and have eaten expired food on more than one occasion. If it looks/tastes/smells bad, has mold, or is rotting, we throw it away (or return in the case of food that was expired/gone bad at the time of purchase) and otherwise we don't worry much.

[EarthMamaToBe]

I'd just remind myself that expiration dates are a modern invention and people survived a long time using good judgment as to what was spoiled.

[EdnaMarie]

Originally Posted by icxcnika

Okay, so usually I am an obsessive expiration-date checker at the store. But yesterday I was in a hurry and didn't check the date on the cheddar cheese I was buying (cheese sticks, in plastic like string cheese, but cheddar). Today the kids wanted a snack, so I gave the older two each a cheese stick. After eating half, my oldest said it tasted funny. I told them not to eat the rest of the pieces, looked at the package, and it said EXPIRATION DATE JUNE 1, 2010. WTF. It is now AUGUST 5. I bought it YESTERDAY. I am so mad (and it is difficult to make me angry).

Called poison control, who said they may be fine, but if they develop symptoms of food poisoning, to call the doctor. I am FREAKING OUT.

Part of me thinks that "well, cheese is suppposed to be aged anyhow, and I know people sometimes eat expired things anyway with no problems," but OH MY GOODNESS, PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE.

Thank you so much.

You can eat moldy, expired cheese (which I have, having cut off the moldy part) and in all likelihood you will be FINE. Those dates err on the side of caution. You have at least a couple more weeks left, in addition to the fact that even when cheese does mold, the un-moldy parts are often safe.

I really think that since cheese is fermented, it will be hard to get any kind of food poisoning from it. It will taste FOUL before it is poison. Even sour milk generally won't make you sick (not that I recommend drinking it, obviously).

[SubliminalDarkness]

I agree with others. Cheese is fine.