Is The Food From Ross Safe To Eat?

meat and cheese platter (l) woman shares shopping finds (c) Ross storefront (r)

Finding unexpected things at Ross is practically a sport at this point.

But one woman’s discovery in the food aisle stopped her cold and sparked a debate in the comments about whether shelf-stable meat and cheese is something to grab at a discount or to side-eye.

Should Ross Sell This?

In a viral video with more than 2.2 million views, Raven (@thatsoraveeen) pulls a Hickory Farms charcuterie set off the shelf at Ross—text overlay reading, “At Ross mind you”—and holds it up for the camera, seemingly judging the fact that it’s even there.

The set is loaded and comes with two summer sausages, a sharp cheddar blend, a smoked gouda blend, a small container of strawberry fig jam, and a honey pineapple mustard, all packaged with a bamboo cutting board and a cheese spreader.

As a charcuterie board in a box, it’s pretty good. But sitting on a Ross shelf, unrefrigerated, it made Raven judge whoever would indulge in the snack.

“Show yourself if you buy this s—,” she said in the caption.

Actually, That Meat And Cheese Is Fine

Here’s the thing Raven might not have known: the fact that Hickory Farms charcuterie was sitting on a shelf at room temperature was.

According to Penn State Extension, some cheeses and meat products don’t require refrigeration because of their low moisture content, higher acidity, smoking process, or ingredients that help control bacterial growth—which is why you’ll find items like Parmesan or packages of salami sitting out at room temperature at the grocery store without issue.

Harder, drier, smoked, or cured products are simply less hospitable environments for the bacteria that make people sick.

That said, softer meats like lunch meat or ring bologna do need to stay cold. The general rule is to always read the label. Hickory Farms’s own FAQ confirms their summer sausage products are shelf-stable, though they recommend refrigerating after opening to keep things fresh longer.

What Is Hickory Farms?

For anyone who grew up going to the mall around the holidays, Hickory Farms probably needs no introduction. But for the uninitiated: this brand has been around since 1951, when founder Richard Ransom started selling hand-crafted cheese at local fairs and farmer’s markets.

By 1959, the first retail store opened in Toledo, Ohio. By 1981, there were over 1,000 Hickory Farms stores and seasonal kiosks across the U.S. and Canada.

The brand has long been a gift-giving staple. Their charcuterie lineup ranges from a $30 Valentine’s Day set all the way up to a $205 Luxe California Wine Gift Basket loaded with three bottles of wine, two sausages, four cheeses, and an assortment of nuts, chocolates, and crackers.

Commenters React

“There’s a girl on here who buys Ross food and reviews it she tried the cheese!!” a top comment read.

“The WORST part of trying ross snacks is when you find one delicious you NEVER see it again,” a person said.

“Wait no this is actually good! Y’all don’t know about Hickory Farms!?” another wrote.

“As an avid cheese lover it makes me giggle when ppl forget some cheeses don’t need to be refrigerated…. it also kinda baffles me how ppl are so picky about cheese as if it’s not legit mold?” a commenter added.