Wegmans Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates Wegmans Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 8 oz by Wegmans OKAY — score 70/90.

At its core this is real cheddar: milk, culture, salt, enzymes. Being pre-shredded adds a small stack of coatings, potato starch plus powdered cellulose to keep it loose, and annatto for the orange color. All benign, but they nudge it out of clean-MUNCH territory.

Why this verdict

• Real cheddar base of pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, and enzymes
• Annatto is a natural plant color, not an artificial dye
• Two anti-caking additives (potato starch and powdered cellulose) mark it as a convenience shred
• No artificial flavors, preservatives, or flavor enhancers
• Full-fat and salty, so portion it rather than pour it

Ingredients (7)

• pasteurized milk (safe) — The fresh dairy base; protein, calcium, and fat.
• Cheese Culture] (safe) — Bacterial culture that acidifies and forms the cheese.
• Salt (safe) — Standard seasoning in small amounts.
• enzymes (safe) — Coagulant that sets the cheese. Source unspecified, so vegetarian status is uncertain.
• Annatto (vegetable color) (safe) — Natural seed-derived color for the classic orange cheddar look.
• potato starch (caution) — Refined starch and the primary ingredient; pure fast-digesting carbohydrate with none of the potato's fiber.
• POWDERED CELLULOSE (moderate) — Plant-fiber anti-caking agent added so the shreds don't clump; benign but a processing additive.