"Is There Really Sawdust in Shredded Cheese? Understanding the Viral Controversy"

Videos are making the rounds online that might have some cheese lovers concerned—are there really “wood chips” or “sawdust” in shredded cheese, and should you wash it before you eat it?

On TikTok, some creators swear by washing their pre-shredded cheese to remove additives, preservatives, or other unwanted substances found in the packages.

In a February video that’s since garnered over 960,000 views, creators Janelle and Kate recommended washing pre-shredded cheese as a “kitchen hack.” Showing off the “dirty” water left behind, the TikTokers said the practice is a good way to save time while still avoiding certain additives that keep the cheese from clumping.

This latest trend may seem perplexing, but washing pre-shredded cheese can actually remove the substances most brands add to their product during the manufacturing process. However, doing so may not be necessary.

Here’s what experts had to say about pre-shredded cheese and whether food additives make this much-beloved food unsafe.

What consumers tend to love most about shredded cheese is its melty, creamy texture (think cheese pull), salty flavor, and high protein content. But the same attributes that make shredded cheese so appealing can also cause it to solidify back into a cheese ball, often before you can even enjoy it.

This is where food additives—specifically anticaking agents—in pre-shredded cheese come into play.

“According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [section of the] Code of Federal Regulations, a grated cheese can include the following optional ingredients: antimycotics (antifungals), anticaking agents, spices, and flavorings,” Abbey Thiel, PhD, food scientist and project manager at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, told Health.

Anticaking agents are added to pre-grated cheese to keep the shreds from sticking together.

One of these anticaking substances—powdered cellulose—has been drawing the majority of people’s concern online, as cellulose is often derived from sawdust.

Potato starch and corn starch are also sometimes added to pre-shredded cheese as anticaking agents.

Besides this, shredded cheese manufacturers will also usually include a food additive called natamycin in their products. Natamycin is an antifungal compound and is added to foods such as cheeses, yogurts, sausages, and more to prevent the growth of mold and yeast. This helps extend the product’s shelf life.

Claims that powdered cellulose is linked to sawdust aren’t totally unfounded—the anticaking agent can, in fact, be derived from cotton lint or wood pulp (sawdust).

However, “no one is chopping up logs and throwing them into your cheese,” Thiel emphasized.

Cellulose itself “is the main component of a plant’s cell wall, giving cells strength and rigidity,” Thiel explained. This means that cellulose exists in virtually every plant-based food, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.

Cellulose—and other anticaking agents—can also be found in a range of foods, including breads, frozen dinners, and salad dressing.

Not only is cellulose a food additive, but it can also be a meaningful source of insoluble dietary fiber.

“Cellulose is an indigestible fiber found in many healthy foods,” Julie Pace, RDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Core Nutrition Health and Wellness, told Health.

“Funnily enough, if you’re trying to add more fiber to your diet, you’re actually looking to eat more compounds like cellulose,” added Thiel.

Even in its food additive state, fiber (including cellulose) may be able to lower cholesterol, regulate the blood sugar response, and support digestion.

The FDA has deemed cellulose additives to be Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for consumption, even if the product is often derived from wood.

By the time it’s ready to be added to food, cellulose is a far cry from any sort of wood product. Also, because cellulose is an indigestible fiber, our bodies don’t absorb it, regardless of the (food-safe) source.

For people who are fans of pre-shredded cheese—due to its convenience, cost, extended shelf life, or other factors—experts agreed there’s no need to be concerned about the product’s safety.

However, there are some reasons why people may still elect to wash pre-shredded cheese or avoid it altogether.

Because the anticaking agents included in pre-shredded cheese keep the shreds from clumping up, pre-shredded cheese may not melt as nicely as cheese that you shred fresh off the block. Some people also say there’s a taste difference between hand-grated cheese and the shreds from the store.