How Long Can String Cheese Be Unrefrigerated?

"I received these products complimentary 

from Influenster for testing purposes

.

What kid doesn't love food they can play with (pulling all the strings off and waving them around) and what Mom doesn't love food she can trust is good for her family?

I have been buying Sargento sliced cheeses for years-I love that they have a HUGE variety and the red/black bags are always easy to spot in the grocery store cooler.

And I want to let you in on the part of this review I got the most excited over...

...the individual string cheese insulated cooler Sargento provided with my coupon!  I can't count the number of times I've tossed a string cheese in my purse or the diaper bag for a snack to grab later in the day, only to find it hours later all warm, slimy, and limp.  While these little coolers were only a limited-time promotional item, it shows me that Sargento can be creative and has their consumers in mind.  I've always wondered how long this portable snack could be unrefrigerated and still safe to eat-

the answer is 4 hours.

I decided to do a little test on this 4-hour theory.  I used 1 Sargento string cheese in the cooler, 1 Sargento string cheese on it's own, and one off-brand string cheese.  After 4 hours sitting out on the table, the off-brand was a watery smelly mess.  Both Sargento sticks came out about the same, yes warming and getting a little oily, but still tasty with little smell.  I truly believe the higher quality natural ingredients make the Sargento Natural products a better choice for my family.

Check out the Sargento website for great ideas on

adding cheese to your favorite snacks.