Are you eating sawdust with your grated cheese?

If you buy grated cheese in packets from your local supermarket you could well be eating the legal, food-grade additive cellulose. It is added to the grated cheese to prevent it from clumping in the packet. Cheese products are allowed to contain up to 4% cellulose (wood pulp) and the authorities have decided that this amount isn’t harmful. You may also find wood pulp in other products such as cereals that are labelled “added fibre”. So will it damage your body? The latest evidence is that cellulose will simply pass through your body, adding bulk to your waste without adding any vitamins or minerals for your cells, so it is recommended to search for your added fibre somewhere else.

How do you tell if your grated cheese has wood in it?

Look for ingredients such as “anti-caking agent” or anything containing the word “cellulose” or the acronym MCC.

How do you avoid it?

Avoid buying processed food and try to buy food that is as close to its original form as possible. For example, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. I but 3 blocks at once and set up the food processor and grate it all and package it up in less than half an hour. It has never seemed clumped or stuck together when I get it out of the freezer to use. I know my family is not eating anything unnecessary and is just getting their essentials.