Some brands of Parmesan cheese sold in U.S. grocery stores contain unexpectedly large amounts of cellulose, reports Bloomberg, which hired an independent laboratory to test samples of the popular grated cheese.
Cellulose is a safe additive, “a common anti-clumping agent made from wood pulp,” says the news agency, and an acceptable level in grated cheese would be 2-4 percent. One of the store-bought samples tested for Bloomberg, Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was nearly 9 percent cellulose. Another, Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Walmart, was nearly 8 percent.
The companies questioned the accuracy of a single test of their products and said they were committed to making high-quality products. An importer of Italian hard cheeses such as Parmesan, estimated that 20 percent of U.S production of the cheese was mislabeled and contained fillers.