Why Some Health Experts Advise You to Wash CHEESE Before Eating It

A small but growing group of health experts is urging people to wash grated cheese to remove potentially harmful additives.

Videos showing a cloudy yellow residue left behind after the process have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media, with users claiming this “kitchen trick” is essential for removing preservatives and other unwanted substances.

In one videouser Amaya Stowers shows herself rinsing and draining a handful of grated cheese because “it has wood chips in it.”

In another case, a maker named Shay Click melted washed and unwashed cheese on two tortillas and compared how they melted. The tortilla with the rinsed cheese seemed significantly more melted. “That’s why I wash my cheese,” Ms. Click said.

Some health experts have suggested washing pre-sliced ​​cheese before eating it to remove any additives

Holistic physician Dr. Paul Saladino showed himself rinsing a handful of cheese and holding up a jar of cloudy water left over from the process

Texas weight loss expert Dr. Lori Shemek responded to a video warning: ‘This is why you should wash your shredded cheese.’

While some experts recommend rinsing the cheese to remove additives, others argue that this is an unnecessary step and that the risk from these ingredients is minimal.

Pre-sliced ​​cheese often contains anti-caking agents. These are substances that ensure that the individual cheese strands do not solidify in the packaging.

The main ingredient is cellulose powder, which also occurs naturally in various fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The additive has been the subject of controversy in recent years because it is usually derived from sawdust or cotton lint and added to processed foods.

But “nobody chops up tree trunks and throws them in your cheese,” Dr. Abbey Thiel, a food scientist and project manager at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, told Health.

Although the additive is made from sawdust, the FDA has given it a “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) designation, meaning there is no evidence that it is harmful.

A TikTok user who goes by the name foodsciencebabe and claims to be a chemical engineer in Minnesota said in a January post video we know [cellulose] is safe and even beneficial because we understand what it does in the human body.’

She explains that cellulose is a source of insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to stool and helps food pass more easily through the stomach and intestines.

“Just because a food ingredient is also used in non-food applications does not mean it is unsafe to consume,” she said. “It is not something to be afraid of.”

Jen Messer, a registered dietitian and president of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told TODAY that humans lack the enzymes needed to break down cellulose, causing it to be absorbed through the digestive system.

In a TikTok video, user Amaya Stowers shows how she rinses and drains a handful of grated cheese because “it has wood chips in it”

TikToker Shay Click showed herself melting pre-sliced ​​cheese, either washed or unwashed, to see which melted first

In the video Dr. Shemek was responding to, holistic physician Dr. Paul Saladino demonstrated rinsing a handful of cheese and holding up a pot of cloudy water left over from the process.

Dr. Saladino pointed to natamycin, a preservative meant to prevent mold and extend shelf life. “We don’t really know what that’s going to do to the human gut,” he said.

The additive has been in the news in the past because it was banned in Whole Foods and was on the list of ‘unacceptable food ingredients’.

However, the FDA and the World Health Organization both define the additive as “generally recognized as safe,” and the watchdog group Environmental Working Group (EWG) “has not identified any concerns about natamycin in food.”

Potato and cornstarch are also sometimes added to pre-shredded cheese to prevent it from clumping. While this can cause gas and bloating, these effects usually only occur in people who consume large amounts.

“The claim that it is healthier to grate your own cheese and that pre-sliced ​​cheese carries additional risks is simply false and contributes to unnecessary food anxiety,” foodsciencebabe said in her video.

While washing cheese may not be necessary, the FDA recommends rinsing fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and bacteria. Additionally, washing rice can fluff up its texture and remove excess starch.