Is there really wood pulp and sawdust in your Parmesan cheese?
A food scientist explains the origins of these headlines
A handful of cheese companies have found themselves the subject of some pretty salacious headlines like The Parmesan Cheese You Sprinkle on Your Penne Could Be Wood and the FDA Finds Wood Pulp in Major Parmesan Cheese Brands.
As a food scientist, this type of flashy news always catches my eye. I’ve seen so many exaggerations, misunderstandings, and deceptive tactics that I always feel inclined to investigate.
And I found it hard to believe that chunks of wood were being tossed into cheese all willy nilly. There’s too many laws and regulations for that to fly.
But there is some truth behind these reports and several cheese companies including Kraft Heinz, Walmart, Jewel-Osco owner Albertsons, SuperValu and the manufacturer Icco Cheese have been involved in a lawsuit over their 100% grated Parmesan cheese.
Because guess what — it’s not 100% Parmesan cheese.
