I get over 300 emails a day. One of the companies sending me their thoughts monthly is Eater. They talk about things happening in the food industry. Their topic this week is: The Real Problem with Wood Pulp in Cheese. Parmesan Cheese, specifically.
Helloooo! The REAL problem with wood pulp in Cheese?
When was I even asked if I was willing to mix cheese and wood? And when did I buy into that and say: “Yeah, I get that we need to stretch our food sources. Go ahead. Give me wood”.
Well here is the real problem: I didn’t. I didn’t say ok. And I will bet neither did you!
Apparently Eater is feeding off of last months’ Bloomberg Business Report which said this: “Acting on a tip, agents of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration paid a surprise visit to a cheese factory in rural PA….. looking for evidence that the company was doctoring it’s 100% real parmesan cheese with cut-rate substitutes and such fillers was wood pulp (also called cellulose), distributing it to some of our biggest grocery store chains”.
WHAT STORES? WHAT BRANDS, CHEF?
Well, here’s the quote: “Everyday 100% grated Parmesan Cheese for m Jewel- Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose while awl-Mart Stores great Value 100% grated Parmesan Cheese register 7.8 percent according to test results. Whole Foods 365 bran didn’t list the ingredient on the label but theirs came in at 0.3%”.
The Castle Brand, sold at Target, tested out as swiss, mozzarella, white cheddar and cellulose, according to the FDA. No Parmesan Cheese in their 100% shredded Parmesan Cheese. And the FDA still continues to claim that Cellulose is a safe additive at an acceptable level of 2-4%. Acceptable to who?
And how about those little packets of Parmesan Cheese you get with ‘to go’ pizza? Say cheese…. or not. Don’t get me started.
You know, we have heard over and over that the milk we drink today is not our Grandma’s milk, the kind the milkman delivered. Our bodies can’t even process milk and its’ products. To now hear the FDA is even ok with any cellulose filler in cheese, tells it all.
For the last 6 months I cut out all animals including milk and milk products. I’m sitting here thinking ‘WHEW’! I got it right on this one!
Happy Healthy Eating,
