Let's Talk about Cheese

Right now my husband and I are in a transition time before school starts again in January and we needed a job quick.  We decided to sign up with a temp agency and quickly were given a position at the local cheese factory.  Not very glamorous, I know, but you can't be too picky when you live in a tiny, tiny 200-person town.  Anyway, let me share some things with you that I have learned about cheese since working there:

Starting off on a good note,
Tillamook is very picky about their cheese.  Good news for the consumer.  They are safe.

Now let's talk about shredded cheese for a second.  One day I was watching the Food Network (it really is the only thing that interests me when I'm flipping channels) and the Pioneer Woman was cooking something.  First of all, I had NO IDEA she had a TV show.  I've used some of her recipes from her blog before, but that's about it.  Anyway, her recipes are usually fairly easy and quick.  So when she said "I used lots of prepared things to save time, but one thing I don't compromise on is block cheese.  I never buy shredded."  That kind of caught me off-guard.  I buy shredded all the time.  Who wouldn't?  It's the same price and half the work.  But since working at this cheese factory I found out the reason why.  It's called Free Flow.

As the shredded cheese goes through the conveyor belt,  

Free Flow is poured on top.  It looks like flour basically.

But it's not just a little sprinkle.  It's a lot of Free Flow that goes on that thin conveyor belt.  The man operating the machine explained that it's absolutely necessary to keep the cheese from caking together.  It made sense, but I still didn't like it.  Starches, cellulose, and chemicals are what make up Free Flow.  And it goes into EVERY shredded cheese package out there.  Go ahead, look on the ingredients on the back of your shredded mozzarella.  Gross.  Never again.  Not only are those added ingredients not very good for you, they change the consistency of the cheese so it doesn't react the same way in recipes.  It's now worth it to shred my own cheese.  

This next part is just a warning to read carefully.  One day we were given the assignment to open package after package of what looked like shredded cheddar.  Turns out, it was not cheddar at all, but "salad topping."  It actually wasn't even cheese.  It was just oil and chemicals.  We were opening it because it's "expiration date" had passed and it needed to be printed with a new expiration date.  Apparently, imitation cheese products don't really expire (kind of like Twinkies), but they put an expiration date on there to make you feel better.  Gross.

While we're on the topic of cheese products, let's discuss Velveeta.  I personally have never liked it.  I always thought the texture was weird and the flavor was off.  But there are some people who love it.  Sorry I'm about to dash all of your hopes and dreams.  Velveeta starts with real cheese.  Good.  Real cheese that has fallen on the floor, or has expired, or will not sell.  Is that LEGAL?  Of course it is - just as long as they boil it hot enough to kill the bacteria.  And then they start to add the chemicals.  You'll notice on the box it even says it's a "cheese product" and not pure cheese.  Gross.  Now a valid reason to avoid it.  If you're curious about the technical side of how Velveeta is made, here is an interesting article.

So just try and be a little more picky with your cheese choice.  Don't just automatically go for the cheapest brand.  It might be imitation cheese.  Just be aware of what you're putting into your belly and into your kids' bellies.