What If Non-Aged Cheese Sits In My Fridge For A Long Time? OU Further Clarifies “Waiting After Aged Cheese”

It is the position of the OU’s poskim (halachic authorities) that one need only wait between eating aged cheese and meat if the cheese is of a variety that is intentionally aged in production, such as Parmesan (must be aged in production at least 10 months) and Emmental (much be aged in production at least 6 months). Please see OU Aged Cheese List (https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/aged-cheese-list/). One need not wait after consuming non-aged cheese that is then incidentally aged on refrigerator shelves and exhibits the same texture and taste as it should exhibit in in its non-aged state.

However, it has come to our attention that some non-aged cheeses, if left to age in their packaging, may acquire a meshichas ta’am – a very potent taste – which is one of the factors that requires a person to wait after certain cheeses. (V. Taz. s.k. 4 and other poskim on Shulchan Aruch  Yoreh 89:2.) Should a person notice that an otherwise non-aged cheese which has aged after production presents a very potent taste, or that it has acquired a brittle texture similar to that of aged cheeses, he should treat such cheese the same as regular aged cheese and wait the full period before consuming meat.

OU Kosher Staff