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How long does Cheese last in the fridge once opened?

5 kinds · each with its own window

Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block… · Once opened · in the fridge

Use by3 weeks to 4 weeks

Counted from the day you opened it

USDA FoodKeeper figure · as published

How this date is worked out

From KeepsUntilIt is past the dateThe FDA and USDA FSIS rules, and where to ask when a date runs out Where these numbers come fromThe USDA source, the parse rules and what this site cannot tell you Every food on the siteOne page, every product, longest first

Turning the range into a date

Cheese (hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan) keeps 3–4 weeks in the fridge once opened. Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.

Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan

From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by6 months after the day you bought it
From purchase · in the fridgeUse by6 months after the day you bought it
Once opened · in the fridgeUse by3 weeks to 4 weeks after the day you opened it

Cheese, parmesan; shredded or grated

From purchase · in the fridgeUse by12 months after the day you bought it

Cheese, shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc.

From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by3 months to 4 months after the day you bought it
From purchase · in the fridgeUse by1 month after the day you bought it

Cheese, processed slices

From purchase · in the fridgeUse by3 weeks to 4 weeks after the day you bought it

Cheese, soft such as brie, bel paese, goat

From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by6 months after the day you bought it
From purchase · in the fridgeUse by1 week to 2 weeks after the day you bought it

Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block… · From purchase · in the fridge

6 months

Counted from the day you bought it

Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item

USDA FoodKeeper lists 5 kinds under Cheese.

Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan

From purchase · in the freezer6 months
From purchase · in the fridge6 months
Once opened · in the fridge3 weeks to 4 weeks

Cheese, parmesan; shredded or grated

In the freezernot recommended
From purchase · in the fridge12 months

Cheese, shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc.

From purchase · in the freezer3 months to 4 months
From purchase · in the fridge1 month

Cheese, processed slices

In the freezernot recommended
From purchase · in the fridge3 weeks to 4 weeks

Cheese, soft such as brie, bel paese, goat

From purchase · in the freezer6 months
From purchase · in the fridge1 week to 2 weeks

Common searches, answered from this table

Can you freeze cheese?

Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block… · From purchase · in the freezer6 months
Cheese, parmesan; shredded or grated · In the freezernot recommended
Cheese, shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc. · From purchase · in the freezer3 months to 4 months
Cheese, processed slices · In the freezernot recommended
Cheese, soft such as brie, bel paese, goat · From purchase · in the freezer6 months

Can you freeze shredded cheese?

Cheese, shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc. · From purchase · in the freezer3 months to 4 months

From KeepsUntilWhere these numbers come fromThe USDA source, the parse rules and what this site cannot tell you

What USDA FSIS and the FDA say about this food

For: Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan

FOODHANDLINGREASON
Hard cheese
(not cheese where mold is part of the processing)Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese). After trimming off the mold, re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap.Mold generally cannot penetrate deep into the product.

USDA FSIS, Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

For: Cheese, parmesan; shredded or grated · Cheese, shredded; cheddar, mozzarella, etc. · Cheese, processed slices · Cheese, soft such as brie, bel paese, goat

FOODHANDLINGREASON
Soft cheese
(such as cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.) Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all types)DiscardFoods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface. Shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese can be contaminated by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese can also have bacteria growing along with the mold.

USDA FSIS, Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

For: Cheese, soft such as brie, bel paese, goat

FOODHANDLINGREASON
Cheese made with mold
(such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert)Discard soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert if they contain molds that are not a part of the manufacturing process. If surface mold is on hard cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Stilton, cut off mold at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot and handle like hard cheese (above).Molds that are not a part of the manufacturing process can be dangerous.

USDA FSIS, Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.

Other foods on the same USDA shelf

Food safety rules that apply to every food

Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.

Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.

Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.

The answer at the top is for Cheese, hard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan, the kind this site shows first; every kind the USDA lists under this name is printed with its own figures.

Also searched as: swiss cheese

USDA index terms: bel paese, brie, cheddar, goat, grated, mozzarella, parmesan, processed slices, shredded, slice, slices, swiss

KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.