Popular Cheeses That Contain Wood Pulp

Check the label next time you buy shredded cheese, because you may get more than what you bargained for. The first example is a Great Value finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese which contains real cheese, along with some powdered cellulose to prevent caking. The Sargento four cheese blend also contains this substance. Even Frigo’s flaked Parmesan or Kraft’s grated version has it too.

What is Cellulose Powder?

This substance is Basically just plant fiber that you can extract from any plant. But the industry tends to use wood because it’s more available and cheaper. Unfortunately, it offers no nutritional benefits like other plant fibers do. According to regulators, cellulose in large amounts does little more than add dietary bulk and may cause a laxative effect. This could be the body’s way of trying to remove substances it shouldn’t take in.

Even though this cheese might not have any nutritional value, the FDA considered it to be safe. The bigger problem has been companies like Walmart and Kraft, both of whom faced lawsuits for advertising their products as 100% cheese. The FDA allows 4% cellulose to be in them, but lawsuits claim some had 9%. Therefore, makers like Great Value have removed the phrase 100% cheese from their packaging.

Some argue this filler is not only an anti-taking agent but also a cost-saving measure for companies. If you want to avoid consuming this filler, buy blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself. Not only will this help you know exactly what you’re eating, but the food you prepare with it will also have a more desirable result.

Shredded Cheese With No Filler

Thankfully, we still have a few filler-free prepackaged options available. Grated Parmesan from 4C does not contain this substance. Cracker Barrel and Tillamook shredded varieties are also made free from cellulose. Raw Farm shredded cheddar, which can be found at Sprouts, is made with only milk, cultures, and salt.

It’s hard to believe non-food products are so prevalent at the grocery store today. Hopefully one day, we won’t need to worry about ingesting unsuitable substances.

Source: ©Delishably.com