Go Kitchens - How quickly does wheat germ become rancid if unsealed in the kitchen cabinet?

How quickly does wheat germ become rancid if unsealed in the kitchen cabinet?

I just made meat balls with wheat and right after I placed them in the oven I noticed the container says to refrigerate after opening. The wheat germ has been unsealed in my cabinet for a few months. Should I pitch them?

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smell it; taste a teensy bit on your finger. If it's ok, go ahead with the meatballs, but still toss the jar:)
Taste one...if the wheat germ was racid there will be a weird flowery aftertaste.
First question is: Is it toasted or raw wheat germ? If toasted, usually, one to two months under normal circumstances. If the cabinet is somewhere it can get warm (side of fridge or near stove); then less time. It should always be refrigerated because of the oil in it. Open the container and sniff the wheat germ. If it smells off, then pitch it. In a perfect world, your meatballs are fine but, if the germ is rancid and you do not tolerate the enzymatic breakdown taking place, you may develop some intestinal discomfort (bloating and gas) if you eat them. Hope this helps.
Throw them away!!!! It doesn't mater if it is toasted or not. though toasted is reported to have a longer "shelf Life" , it starts to "rot" as soon as air hits it. Wheat germ is “germ: and “germ” is one of the three parts in every grain or seed. It's called a "germ" because it germinates into a new plant. The germ turns into the start of a new plant when a wheat seed is planted, so it contains the largest assortment of nutrients. The germ has to have protein -- for one thing -- if it is going to grow into a plant and a wheat germ is made up of proteins and unsaturated fats and also has Vitamin B, zinc, fiber and antioxidants. A lot of products made from grains like wheat germ have the germ removed from them because the proteins and fats in the germ would cause the food to rot too quickly. It's just like meat and you wouldn't put meat on the shelf and expect it to last very long. This is why it is required to be refrigerated. Hope this helps!