Cream cheese is a highly processed food as making cream cheese involves several steps which include pasteurizing, heating and the addition of other ingredients.
Cream cheese is made by combining cream, milk and other ingredients like flavor enhancers, stabilizers and lactic acid and cream cheese is also heated to pasteurize it to kill dangerous microorganisms.
Cream cheese is then processed to achieve a certain and specific texture as well as consistency.
Some cream cheeses are also more processed than others like sweetened cream cheese.
The liquid in cream cheese is "whey" which is a naturally occurring and clear or slightly yellow liquid which separates from the cheese during storage.
The liquid in cream cheese is normal and safe to eat and you can mix it back into the cream cheese before eating it.
Whey is a protein rich liquid byproduct of the process of making the cream cheese and appears because the whey separates from the cream cheese and causes the visible liquid layer on top.
Cream cheese is often good for around 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator and freezing makes the cream cheese last longer as it stops the bacteria and microorganisms from growing.
If you eat bad cream cheese it can lead to food poisoning and cause fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea as well as other gastrointestinal upset.
Bad or spoiled cream cheese can contain bacteria which is harmful like Clostridium botulinum and Staphylococcus aureus.
If you ate a small amount of bad cream cheese you will often be fine and recover soon but in severe cases it may lead to life threatening illness.
The signs that cream cheese has gone bad include a sour smell, rancid smell, mold growth, yellow or gray tinged discoloration, slimy or watery texture or even a grainy consistency.
If the cream cheese has gone bad it should be thrown out.
The clear liquid in cream cheese is separated whey which is a natural byproduct during the cheese making process.
The clear liquid in cream cheese is just excess moisture that has become separated from the cream cheese solids
You can safely eat the cream cheese with the separated solids and it can also be mixed back into your cream cheese by stirring the cream cheese before eating it.
The ingredients in plain cream cheese are cream, milk culture and salt and cream cheese can also contain added stabilizers such as carrageenan and carob bean gum.
Cream cheese is technically a cheese as cream cheese is a soft, fresh cheese which is made from cream and milk.
Cream cheese is smooth and also mild and has a subtle sweetness and tanginess although it's not naturally aged and is meant to be eaten fresh.
Cream cheese is also similar in flavor and also texture to the mascarpone cheese.
Cream cheese is not a junk food although it can be unhealthy when eaten in excess.
Cream cheese is high in fat and calories.
However cream cheese does contain healthy nutrients such as calcium and Vitamin A.
As long as you don't eat too much cream cheese and you eat other healthier foods and a well balanced diet the cream cheese is health to eat.
Eating too much cream cheese could also cause weight gain as well.
When compared to other dairy products the cream cheese is less in protein content.
The low fat or light cream cheese varieties are healthier options that regular cream cheese.
Cream cheese is both healthy and unhealthy.
Cream cheese is considered to be unhealthy as a result of it's high saturated fat and calorie content.
But when consumed in moderation it's healthy to eat cream cheese.
Eating too much cream cheese could cause you to feel bloated, may have diarrhea, stomach pain and stomach cramps.
Cream cheese is made from cream, milk, salt and culture and can also contain stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan.