The president of the company, which supplied megastores like Target, is scheduled to plead guilty this month to charges that carry a sentence of up to a year in prison and a $100,o00 fine, according to Bloomberg. Chances are when you sprinkle parmesan on your spaghetti you may be getting a little of both. Whole Foods 365 brand didn’t list cellulose as an ingredient on the label, but still tested at 0.3 percent. For your convenience, this delicious cheese has been pre-shredded so that it’s ready to be added to your favorite dish, and this resealable 6oz pouch ensures that your cheese will be fresh every time. The cellulose mentioned is a powdered plant fiber that's completely legal in the US and is an FDA approved anti-clumping ingredient for pre-grated cheese. Now, Kraft Heinz is among the companies named in a lawsuit for using cellulose filler in its "100% Grated Parmesan Cheese" product. The appeals judges said a federal district judge was wrong to dismiss dozens of lawsuits against the sellers of shelf-stable Parmesan cheese simply because the ingredients on the label explicitly included the cellulose many sellers included as a filler and anti-caking agent. Enjoy Kraft Parmesan Finely Shredded Natural Cheese! All rights reserved. FDA Warns The Parmesan You Eat May Be Wood Pulp. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese had 7.8 percent cellulose. For your convenience, this delicious cheese has been pre-shredded so that it’s ready to be added to your favorite dish, and this resealable 6oz pouch ensures that your cheese will be fresh every time. Bloomberg ran experiments on store-bought grated cheese to test for wood pulp content in a lab and found that many cheeses have cellulose, which is made from wood pulp. And if all this wood pulp talk has you worried, Langer says it's junk food in general that needs to be a concern. I'm disappointed that Kraft would make a declaration of "PURE 100% PARMESAN CHEESE" then switch the product to a product diluted with cellulose powder!!! But it's not just cheese. Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese registered 7.8 percent, according to test results. I absolutely love Kraft parmesan cheese (the one that comes in the green plastic container) but can't figure out why it tastes so much different than other grated and dried parmesans on the market. FILE PHOTO - A Heinz Ketchup bottle and a bottle of Kraft parmesan cheese are displayed in a grocery store in New York, U.S. on March 25, 2015. ... Kraft and Walmart. It's used as a thickener, anti-clumping agent, or to make products creamier, and it's in a ton of food products, from salad dressing to cheese to burgers. You can unsubscribe at any time. Every other brand seems to have a dry taste to it and lack the burst of flavour that Kraft parmesan has. Three other ingredients, Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate, and Cheese Cultures are not found in Parmigiano-Reggiano - they are completely illegal in its production. —Abby Langer, RD. The Kraft cheese class action lawsuit alleges potential Class Members suffered injury as a direct result of the breach of warranty because they would not have purchased the Parmesan product had they known “the true facts.” 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese. Pulp fiction and fact: Wood, cellulose and Parmesan cheese. Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan … Several popular parmesan cheese brands do not contain 100 percent real cheese, and are actually partly made of cellulose — a filler made out of wood pulp that is legal in small amounts —… maple syrup to vanilla ice cream sandwiches to many, many meals at McDonald's. In Canada, Kraft's 100% Parmesan cheese lists pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, enzymes, and salt as ingredients. Some food products—like real Parmesan cheese—are notoriously expensive. Kraft had 3.8 percent cellulose. aged 6 months. U.S. Food and Drug Administration discovered that Parmesan cheese found at Pennsylvania cheese factory Castle Cheese Inc. contained wood pulp in its products. The report also found this Parmesan cheese in particular actually contained no Parmesan cheese at all, but rather, other types of cheaper cheeses like Swiss, mozzarella and white cheddar. ©2021 Verizon Media. Kraft Heinz cheese, labeled "100% Grated Parmesan Cheese," was found to be 3.8 percent cellulose. Indeed the Great Value Parmesan cheese flavor rivals that of the Kraft grated Parmesan cheese in … However, the lawsuit states, the product is not 100 percent cheese but, in fact, contains at least 3.8 percent cellulose, a filler made from wood pulp. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese is best used for pizzas, pasta, & other Italian delicacies and also considered as the best grated parmesan cheese of all time. The recent revelation that your grated parmesan cheese might contain some cellulose powder led to dozens of lawsuits against Kraft Heinz, Walmart, Target, … Please attempt to sign up again. Whole Foods 365 brand didn’t list cellulose as an ingredient, and tested at … Kraft had 3.8 percent." aged 6 months. Always made from fresh milk, Kraft shredded natural cheese is perfect for your family’s favorite pasta, pizzas, salads, and more. This also contains cellulose, which is essentially wood pulp, or a plant fiber that prevents the cheese from getting clumpy; and a preservative called potassium sorbate which prevents any microbial growth. The Bloomberg investigation found Jewel-Osco, Wal-mart store brand, and Kraft grated parmesan cheeses had higher levels than the recommended 2 to 4 percent cellulose. Brown uploaded a photo of two packets of Kraft Grated Parmesan, captioning his post with, "Call me trash but I will snort this stuff like the cellulose powder stepped on cow candy that it is." According to the suit, Kraft advertises its grated Parmesan cheese product as being 100 percent Parmesan cheese. I absolutely love Kraft parmesan cheese (the one that comes in the green plastic container) but can't figure out why it tastes so much different than other grated and dried parmesans on the market. Kraft Heinz cheese, labeled "100% Grated Parmesan Cheese," was found to be 3.8 percent cellulose. 365 Everyday Value, Grated Parmesan Cheese. Cellulose is a plant-based fibre that's a component of cell walls of plants, explains registered dietitian Abby Langer, who is based in Toronto. Yes, you’ve been eating wood, thanks to companies like Castle Cheese, which produced Parmesan cheese containing no actual Parmesan for almost 30 years. Please try again later. container at Amazon.com. A lot. An FDA investigation found that a Pennsylvania company, Castle Cheese Inc., had doctored its so-called "Parmesan" with a mix of cheap cheddar cheese and cellulose … According to a report from Bloomberg Business, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration discovered that Parmesan cheese found at Pennsylvania cheese factory Castle Cheese Inc. contained wood pulp in its products. Between 2 and 4 percent is considered to be an "acceptable level," according to … Representatives at these stores said they were “investigating” these findings. And while you actually won't ever see "wood pulp" listed as an ingredient on a tub of grated so-called 100 per cent Parmesan cheese, "cellulose" is the culprit you might just find on many packaged goods. If you are looking for a vegetarian option of parmesan cheese that is also low in Sodium, you have hit the jackpot with this finely-grated cheese. Kraft 100% grated Parmesan cheese - 24ozIngredients: Parmesan cheese (Pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, less than 2% of enzymes, cheese culture, cellulose Powder to prevent caking, potassium Sorbate to protect flavor). The FDA is warning pasta and pizza lovers that cheese labeled “100 percent Parmesan” are often filled with cheese substitutes—like wood pulp. See below for the mention of added cellulose, preservatives, and salt. But it's not just cheese. A safe level of cellulose is between two and four per cent, but according to Bloomberg's report, popular cheeses found in grocery stores like Walmart’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, had about 7.8 per cent, while products from Kraft and Whole Foods had percentages below and within the safe amount. Wal-Mart's "Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese" is at the center of new litigation that accuses the brand of, well, not being 100 percent cheese.. Tests shows that the big box retailer's cheese contained as much as 10 percent cellulose, a wood-based additive that prevents clumping in pre-shredded cheese according to a complaint filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court, Bloomberg … Preparation instructions. Nonetheless, whatever they put into it works very well as a mild yet definitely Italian seasoning for many dishes. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese had 7.8 percent cellulose. This cheese is sure to add great nutty and salty flavor to your favorite meals at any occasion. Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese registered 7.8 percent, according to test results. According to Bloomberg, “Some grated Parmesan suppliers have been mislabeling products by filling them with too much cellulose, a common anti-clumping Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese from Walmart clocked in at 7.8 percent. Every other brand seems to have a dry taste to it and lack the burst of flavour that Kraft parmesan has. "I think it's just because 'wood in your food' sounds gross that people are freaking out about it, but why not freak out about the chemicals in the same food that are not some harmless fibre derived from plants?" Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese registered 7.8 percent, according to test results. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Lewin says that Kraft is in breach of express warranty because its touted “100%” Parmesan cheese is substantially filled with cellulose and fillers. Refrigerate after opening. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Cellulose can be … An FDA investigation found that a Pennsylvania company, Castle Cheese Inc., had doctored its so-called "Parmesan" with a mix of cheap cheddar cheese and cellulose (also known as wood pulp). Kraft Parmesan Cheese comes in a convenient 16 ounce shaker bottle for ease of … 4. However, the lawsuit states, the product is not 100 percent cheese but, in fact, contains at least 3.8 percent cellulose, a filler made from wood pulp. "Cellulose used in food is sometimes derived from, yes, wood. Parmesan cheese or wood pulp? FILE PHOTO - Wheels of parmesan are stored on shelves to mature at a dairy plant in Litovel, one of the world's biggest producer of traditionally made parmesan cheese, June 27, 2012. Ingredients Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate to Protect Flavor. 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