So, you want to know, can you eat expired Babybel cheese?
If I’m being honest, this I can totally understand.
I’ll openly admit I love Babybels, and more often than not I’ll buy them in bulk.
And this is especially true if the local store or supermarket has a special deal on Babybels (which they often do).
So, I’m not adverse to literally having more Babybels than I can handle, but with the added worry of the expiration date.
Therefore, in this article I’d like to discuss whether you can eat expired Babybel cheese, and a few other “edible” facts that may surprise you.
Babybel themselves state that you should use their product by the recommended best use by date. However, Babybels will typically last for up to 6 months refrigerated, which usually goes past the recommended 1-3 months expiration date. The wax coating stops the cheese from losing its moisture and protects it from potential mold. And this is why Babybels still in their wax coating will be edible past the expiration date.
1. How Long Do Babybels Stay in Date?
To be honest, Babybel is no different from any other cheese when it comes to expiration dates.
Actually, that’s not completely true.
Due to the fact that Babybel’s have a protective wax coating, they will usually last longer (and past the expiration date) than many cheeses.
The aim of the wax coating is to stop oxygen getting to the Babybel, thus ensuring that it retains its moisture.
Furthermore, this is what stops mold from forming on the cheese.
That being said, you can still eat cheese that has mold, you simply need to cut the mold away.
However, whether it’s Babybel, another cheese, or a completely different type of food, the same principles apply.
Basically, perform a sight and smell test.
Once opened, if the Babybel is completely covered in mold, then it’s past saving.
Plus, if it smells bad (and as a cheese it would have to smell REALLY bad), then it’s best to throw it away.
However, once refrigerated, a Babybel should easily last 6 months, which is generally a few months past the expiration date.
You can in fact store Babybel’s in the fridge, that have been removed from the wax coating, and they will still be edible for up to 2-3 weeks.
2. How Long Do Babybels Last Out of the Fridge?
You must remember that cheese in general was invented well before refrigeration.
Therefore, it is perfectly possible to store cheese unrefrigerated.
As long as you find a cool, dark place, your Babybels should be fine for 10-14 days.
However, once removed from the protective layer, much like any other cheese, you should consume Babybel within 2-4 hours.
When it comes to any cheese, once they are exposed to the “elements” the breakdown process begins.
So, for hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as Babybel, it’s important to maintain their moisture.
Basically, the harder a cheese, the less moisture it contains.
Therefore, leaving cheese outside of the fridge will hasten the drying out process.
That being said, most cheeses are aged (without refrigeration) for weeks or months, and often years.
Plus, the formation of mold isn’t always a bad sign.
As I mentioned earlier, you can indeed cut around/off mold and your cheese will still be edible.
It’s only once mold has started to grow deeper-and-deeper into your cheese that it’s probably past the point of saving.
Eating a Year Old Unrefrigerated Babybel
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, it’s perfectly fine to eat expired Babybel cheese.
Admittedly, Babybel themselves have stated that you should eat their product by the expiration date.
However, in truth, all manufacturers would say this about any of their products.
Nevertheless, Babybel when still inside its wax coating will last for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
Once removed from its wax coating, Babybell can still be refrigerated for up to 2-3 weeks.
That being said, once removed from the fridge, things start to change somewhat.
If you can find a cool, dark place then you can store sealed Babybels for 10-14 days.
But, once removed from the wax coating and exposed to the air, you should eat Babybels within 2-4 hours.
I have also written a more in-depth article about why Babybel has a wax coating and whether you can eat it!