FOOD NEWS
Should You Be Washing Shredded Cheese?
BY KAT LIEU
People across social media are washing their store-bought shredded cheese to remove its anticaking agents. Upon testing the theory, it seems this is a necessary practice.
When we added half a bag of Kraft shredded cheese to a colander, placed it over a bowl, and poured in filtered water, the water quickly became cloudy with floating particles.
When we rinsed the wet shredded cheese with cold sink water, the water pooling beneath the colander was also gray and murky. The particular cheese we tested contained cornstarch.
Cornstarch is a food-safe ingredient that can be ingested raw in small amounts. The cheese also contained natamycin, a food-safe and natural food preservative.
Ultimately, while it's reassuring that shredded cheeses like Kraft only contain cornstarch, you might feel more at ease shredding your own cheeses.