Why some health experts are calling for you to wash CHEESE before eating it

A small but growing group of health experts are urging people to wash shredded cheese to get rid of potentially harmful additives. 

Videos showing a a murky yellow residue left behind from the process have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on social media, with users claiming the 'kitchen hack' is essential for eliminating preservatives and other unwanted substances. 

In one video, user Amaya Stowers shows herself rinsing and draining a handful of shredded cheese because 'there's wood chips in there.' 

In another, a creator named Shay Click melted washed and unwashed cheese on two tortillas and compared how they melted. The tortilla with the rinsed cheese appeared significantly more melted. 'This is why I wash my cheese,' Ms Click said. 

Dr Lori Shemek, a weight loss expert in Texas, replied to one video warning: 'This is why you should wash your shredded cheese.' 

While some experts recommend rinsing off your cheese to remove additives, others claim it's an unnecessary step and that the risk of these ingredients is minimal.

Pre-shredded cheeses often contain anticaking agents, which are substances meant to keep the individual strands of cheese from congealing in the packet.

The main one is powdered cellulose, which is also found naturally in several fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 

The additive has been the subject of controversy in recent years, as it usually is derived from saw dust or cotton lint and added to processed foods. 

However, 'no one is chopping up logs and throwing them into your cheese,' Dr Abbey Thiel, food scientist and project manager at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, told Health.  

Though the additive comes from saw dust, the FDA has given it a 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) designation, meaning there is no evidence that it causes harm. 

A TikTok user going by foodsciencebabe, who claims to be a chemical engineer in Minnesota, said in a January video 'we know [cellulose] is safe, and in fact even beneficial, because we understand what it does in the human body.'

She explains that cellulose is a source of insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to stool and helps food more easily pass through the stomach and intestines.

'Just because a food ingredient is also used in non-food applications does not mean that it is unsafe to consume,' she said. 'It's not something to be scared about.' 

Jen Messer, a registered dietitian and president of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told TODAY that humans lack the enzymes needed to break cellulose down, so it passes through the digestive system without being absorbed. 

In the video Dr Shemek responded to, holistic medicine physician Dr Paul Saladino showed himself rinsing a handful of cheese and holding up a pot of murky water leftover from the process. 

Dr Saladino pointed to natamycin, a preservative meant to prevent mold and extend shelf life. 'We don't really know what that's going to do to the human gut,' he said. 

The additive has made headlines in the past for being banned in Whole Foods and placed on its 'Unacceptable Ingredients for Food' list. 

However, the FDA and World Health Organization both define the additive as 'generally recognized as safe,' and watchdog group Environmental Working Group (EWG) 'has not identified any concerns for natamycin in food.'

Potato and corn starch are also sometimes added to preshredded cheese to keep it from clumping. While these could trigger gas and bloating, these effects usually only happen in people consuming large quantities. 

'Claiming that shredding your own cheese is healthier and that preshredded comes with added risks is just incorrect and adds to unnecessary food fears,' foodsciencebabe said in her video. 

Though washing cheese might not be necessary, the FDA urges rinsing fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and bacteria. Additionally, washing rice may make the texture fluffier and remove excess starch.