Is this safe to eat? If I cut the small bits of mold from cheddar cheese, is the cheese safe to eat? The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that you should cut off at least an inch around and below the mold spot because the spoilage could go beyond the visible mold. Is it safe to eat 2-year old hamburger meat that's stored in the freezer? If the freezer temperature is set at 0F, froozen foods remain safe indefinitely. However, how long the taste and texture of the meat stays OK depends on the meat. If pizza is left on the counter overnight, is it safe to eat? No. Never leave perishable foods on out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. Bacteria that might be on the food grows faster between 40F and 140F. The bacteria count can double every 20 minutes. Source: Consumer Reports, December 2006