Some Manufactures Are Using Processed Wood Pulp As Filler In Cheese
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's used in all sorts of food products to extend shelf life and block out moisture. But are some manufacturers adding too much of a good thing? We're talking about wood pulp in your food!
One cheese company is pulling its product from the shelves because of concerns.
The Parmesan cheese sold in stores may contain more than you thought. Companies use cellulose, which is processed wood pulp to keep cheese from clumping. But it turns out some manufacturers also use large amounts of it as a filler.
Whether sprinkled on pasta, shaved on salads or grated onto pretty much anything, Americans' appetite for cheese has been heating up for decades.
But experts believe some of the Parmesan eaten by cheese lovers isn't real cheese and it's costing them.
"Americans are probably consuming close to a hundred million pounds annually," said Neal Schuman, CEO at Arthur Schuman Inc.
Schuman says cellulose, which is made from wood pulp, is a big culprit.
It's used in salad dressings and ice cream to make them creamier and even placed in bread to boost fiber.
While two to four percent of cellulose is acceptable within the cheese industry Bloomberg Business found considerably more in two brands it tested.
Essential Everyday 100 percent grated Parmesan cheese, made by Jewel-Osco, was actually 8.8 percent cellulose. Walmart's Great Value 100 percent grated parmesan cheese came in at 7.8 percent.
"You're getting ripped off. It's not what you bargained for," said Bloomberg Commodities reporter, Lydia Mulvaney.
Walmart would not comment for this story, but Jewel-Osco says it "...has pulled the Essential Everyday Parmesan cheese from our stores as we continue to investigate the matter."
The FDA says it takes economic fraud seriously. In 2013 the agency warned a Pennsylvania cheese maker that its product did not actually contain any Parmesan cheese. The company later went bankrupt. Just in case you're concerned, cellulose isn't absorbed by digestion and the FDA has deemed it safe for human consumption. By the way, it's also used in the making of plastics, pet litter and even car brake pads.