Why do blue cheeses have a best before date?

milltown · 07-01-2004 06:39PM #1

I like my smelly cheeses (no giggling at the back) but I have always wondered why blue cheeses, which already have mould growing on them, have a best before date and why it generally varies from a few days to a week or two.

How do they arrive at a certain date?

oneweb · 07-01-2004 06:46PM

AFAIR, all/most food items are required to have a best before or use by date.

Discovering · 07-01-2004 06:46PM

The same reason why bottled still water has a best before.

All food has to have a best before by law.

The reason why the date is only a few days is because the product is a refrigerated food and supplier’s wont take the risk.

Also the mould on blue cheese is not the only mould that will grow on cheese after a while like any other product it can have other harmful moulds grow on it.

But I agree with you that the date is usually way too short for blue cheese.

dudara · 08-01-2004 01:37PM

Most makers of blue cheese set the best before date to be a few weeks after the cheese ripens. In other words, for a really ripe blue cheese go for one that is 2-3 weeks before its BBD.

The mould that makes it blue is not the only microbe in the cheese, but cheeses tend to last well after their BBD dates anyway. The makers are just obeying the law.

Borzoi · 09-01-2004 04:26PM

It's also to do with how they're stored. Standard domestic fridges dry out products, which rapidly reduces the shelf life of cheese, even if wrapped. Under optimal conditions blue cheese will hold for between 60-120 days (2C and 80%RH)

Why do blue cheeses have a best before date?

Comments