Cream cheese is unaged so it has a short shelf life. I wouldn't use it beyond the best before date. If it hasn't been opened it may last longer than the expiration date. It's a fresh cheese and its flavor can be compromised if used beyond the date specified. This cheese is not safe to eat if any mould forms.

Cream cheese is a fresh cheese, along with products such as cottage cheese and quark. Fresh cheeses have the shortest storage life of all cheeses and most of them should be kept refrigerated (curd cheese is an exception - it is best when stored at a cool room temperature, but has a shelf life of only a few days). Fresh cheeses ideally should be consumed before the "best before" date on the package - typically two or three weeks from the date of manufacture - but they can last longer if properly stored. Their texture will change as they age, however. As with all dairy products, the sniff test should be used to check if they are still good. Cream cheese can also be frozen. Although the taste does not change, the texture will be adversely affected by freezing because of the high moisture content of fresh cheeses. Although some claim one should not consume cheeses that have become even slightly mouldy, I have never experienced any problems with eating cheese after the mould has been trimmed off. I don't ever recall anyone in my family ever tossing out a block of cheese because of a bit of mould. However, by the time mould appears on fresh cheese products, they should be discarded because the entire product is affected. The taste of hard cheeses may be adversely affected if the mould has had time to spread throughout the product. However, a small amount of mould can be trimmed off, leaving an edible product. This is much the same as with bread.

Longer if you shut the door!!

I don't know anything about cream cheese, but i recommend disposing of yogurt upon contact. Nah, I'm only kidding. I know people who like this stuff. SlowPoke....

Its normally eat within 3 days of opeing,you can eat it up until 5 days if your not elderly or pregnant.I worked in a cheese factory and the products were always under dated but the life is a lot longer.

Watch for the expiration...and trust me, you don't want to eat it after it expires.

A few days?

Not as long as bacon, that's for sure.

I have used cream cheese up to 10 months after the "use by" date. If unopened and kept in the fridge, it can be safe to eat. Look, smell, and taste will usually tell you if it is safe. I have been cooking for 40 years, and I haven't made anyone sick yet. You just have to use a little common sense. Blessings!

RedJohn,I like your answer on the cream cheese, do you know if you cook with cream cheese and refrigerator if it is the same time?