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Storage guides · Product label guide

Can you freeze cheese? What USDA says about safety, texture and thawing, plus milk.

Updated

Frozen cheese is safe at 0 F; the change is texture. What USDA says about refreezing hard, soft and shredded cheese, freezing milk, safe thawing, and what the cheese labels in the catalog list.

Quick answer

Yes. Food held at 0 F stays safe indefinitely, according to FoodSafety.gov, so freezing cheese is a quality question, not a safety one. The change you notice is texture: FSIS explains that slow freezing forms large ice crystals that damage food. Hard cheeses hold up best; USDA guidance on refreezing says soft and semi-soft cheeses may lose some texture. Milk can be frozen too, with some loss of texture.

Frozen at 0 F
Safe indefinitely
What changes
Texture, not safety
Cheese shelf in our catalog
175 current labels
Milk shelf in our catalog
32 current labels

01 · A closer look

Is frozen cheese safe?

FoodSafety.gov says food held continuously at 0 F can be kept indefinitely, and that freezer storage guidelines are for quality only. FSIS adds that freezing stops microbes from growing but does not kill them all, so food thawed from the freezer is handled like fresh perishable food. For storage times of a specific cheese, the USDA FoodKeeper lists them by type; we do not repeat a number we could not verify.

FoodSafety.gov: cold food storage chart (refrigerator at 40 F, freezer at 0 F)

02 · A closer look

What freezing does to texture.

FSIS explains that rapid freezing prevents large ice crystals from forming throughout food, while slow freezing creates large, disruptive ice crystals, and that emulsions such as cream can separate after thawing. That is why frozen cheese is best for melting, cooking and sauces, and why a block that was crumbly can turn more crumbly. Hard cheeses fare better than soft ones.

USDA FSIS: freezing and food safety

03 · A closer look

Hard, soft and shredded cheese.

USDA’s guidance on foods that have thawed says hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be refrozen if they still have ice crystals or are cold, soft and semi-soft cheeses can be refrozen but may lose some texture, and shredded cheese should be refrozen only if it is still frozen. Cheese held above 40 F for more than 2 hours is a discard for soft cheeses.

FoodSafety.gov: refrigerated food and power outages

04 · A closer look

Can you freeze milk?

Yes. In the same USDA guidance, thawed milk that still has ice crystals can be refrozen with some loss of texture, and milk held above 40 F for more than 2 hours should be discarded. Frozen and thawed milk may separate, so shake or stir it, and use it for cooking, baking or smoothies if the texture bothers you. The USDA FoodKeeper lists the freezer time for milk.

FoodSafety.gov: refrigerated food and power outages

05 · A closer look

Thawing.

FSIS lists three safe ways to thaw: in the refrigerator, in cold water in a leak-proof bag with the water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave and then cooking or using it right away. Do not thaw on the counter.

USDA FSIS: the big thaw, safe defrosting methods

06 · A closer look

What a date label means.

Date labels on most food are voluntary. USDA FSIS says that, except for infant formula, a date on a package is not required by federal law and is not a safety date. For meat, poultry and egg products FSIS describes “Best if Used By” as the date for best flavor or quality, not a purchase or safety date. Infant formula is the exception: the FDA requires a “Use by” date on its label.

USDA FSIS: food product dating

From the catalog · 8 labels

Cheese in our catalog

Shredded cheese often lists an anti-caking ingredient, and a few cheeses list a mold inhibitor. Those additions are what a label can tell you before you freeze it. Of the 4,729 products whose full ingredient list we have read in the last 90 days, 175 sit on the cheese shelf and 145 of those have no additive group flagged by the checker. Open a product to see its full label and the date we read it.

Cheese shelf: current labels in the CleanFoodScore catalog (counted at the last site build)
Labels
Current labels on the cheese shelf175
List cellulose, starch or another anti-caking ingredient18 (10.3%)
List natamycin (a mold inhibitor)12 (6.9%)
List potassium sorbate or sorbic acid40 (22.9%)
List carrageenan, guar or another gum26 (14.9%)
With any additive group flagged by the checker30 (17.1%)

From the catalog · 4 labels

Milk in our catalog

A carton of milk lists milk and vitamins; flavored milk adds sugar and thickeners. Of the 4,729 products whose full ingredient list we have read in the last 90 days, 32 sit on the milk shelf and 29 of those have no additive group flagged by the checker. Open a product to see its full label and the date we read it.

Milk shelf: current labels in the CleanFoodScore catalog (counted at the last site build)
Labels
Current labels on the milk shelf32
List a gum or carrageenan7 (21.9%)
List added sugar or syrup7 (21.9%)
With any additive group flagged by the checker3 (9.4%)

The short answer

Our picks for can you freeze cheese?

Top of the shelfKalona SuperNatural Organic Cream-Top Whole Milk, Maple Hill Grass-Fed Whole Milk, and Organic Valley Grassmilk Organic Whole Milk each score 100/100. 4 products tie at 100; these 3 have the shortest labels. Use Compare by in the table to separate the rest.

Also strongOrganic Valley Organic Grassmilk Raw Cheddar Cheese, Block (100), Sierra Nevada Cheese Co. Organic Smokehouse Jack (85), and Nancy's Organic Probiotic Cottage Cheese (85).

Clear noNone. Nothing scored here lists any of the nine groups we check, so there’s no additive to rule out.

Ranked from 11 of 11 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

11 of 11 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →6
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →7
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →6
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →6
85 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicProduct details →5
85 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
60 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

  1. FoodSafety.gov: cold food storage chart (refrigerator at 40 F, freezer at 0 F) foodsafety.gov
  2. USDA FSIS: freezing and food safety fsis.usda.gov
  3. USDA FSIS: the big thaw, safe defrosting methods fsis.usda.gov
  4. FoodSafety.gov: refrigerated food and power outages foodsafety.gov
  5. USDA FSIS: food product dating fsis.usda.gov
  6. USDA and FoodSafety.gov: FoodKeeper (storage times for pantry, refrigerator and freezer) foodsafety.gov

Watch

The video about this page

Can You Freeze Cheese? Hard, Soft and Shredded ComparedFrozen cheese is safe at 0 F, according to FoodSafety.gov, and what changes is texture. We run three tests, hard, soft and shredded cheese, per USDA guidance, and count the anti caking ingredients on 175 cheese labels (as of October 2026).Watch on YouTube · The Short: Can You Freeze Milk? Yes, With One Catch

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