Great Value Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates Great Value Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz by Great Value OKAY — score 62/90.

The base is real cheddar — milk, cultures, salt, enzymes. But every shred is dusted in potato starch and powdered cellulose so the bag pours, plus natamycin to keep mold off. Genuinely mixed: real fermented dairy wearing an industrial anti-caking jacket. Buy the block and shred it yourself if you care.

Why this verdict

• Real cheddar cheese is the first and dominant ingredient — actual fermented dairy, not a 'cheese product'
• Potato starch and powdered cellulose coat the shreds to prevent caking — inert fillers that dilute the cheese and dull how it melts
• Natamycin is an antifungal preservative; harmless at these trace levels but a processing marker block cheese doesn't need
• No added sugars, refined oils, emulsifiers, or flavor enhancers — the negatives are convenience additives, not engineering
• High saturated fat and sodium, like all cheddar — portion still matters

Ingredients (5)

• Cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes) (safe) — Traditionally made cheese — good protein and calcium, high in saturated fat and sodium by nature.
• annatto color (safe) — Plant-based coloring for a warm cream hue.
• potato starch (safe) — Anti-caking agent to keep shreds separate.
• POWDERED CELLULOSE (moderate) — Added fiber, usually from plant sources, might be excessive here.
• natamycin (moderate) — A natural mold-inhibiting preservative applied to the surface. Safe at these levels, but it is an additive block cheese does not need.