Is it OK to eat cheese after the date on the packaging?

It’s important to know that there are two types of dates on packaging.  You will see “use by:” on some of them and “best before:” on others.  Be careful, they do not mean the same thing!  The first indicates the real date after which you should no longer eat the product because it could be harmful to your health, while the second can be interpreted differently.  You will often find the second type – “best before:” – on cheeses.  This fixes the date beyond which the organoleptic qualities (taste, colour, texture and so on) may be impaired.  What this in fact means is that the product is perfectly OK to eat!  For that matter, lots of people prefer their cheeses rather “more mature” and ripened because they develop flavours which were not present when the product was bought.  It all depends on your taste.