Is Walmart trying to pass off shredded cheese as something fancier—and more expensive—than it should be? We’re gonna get to the bottom of it.
While doing her standard grocery shopping, Walmart customer @majesticallymadeover noticed something new in the dairy aisle.
Among the bagged cheeses was a supposedly special bag advertised as “Limited Edition.” Yes, you read that right—a limited edition cheese.
You might think it’s something fancy or seasonal, like hatch pepper cheese or imported parmesan. Nope. It’s a bag of regular ‘ole Great Value cheddar and American cheese advertised as “Bake & Melt” and “great for baking.”
“Y’all see how they just play in our face and get us to spend money? What is this? They just making up names now,” @majesticallymadeover says in the clip.
She went on to point out that the cheese package wasn’t all that special, because you can bake and melt many cheeses.
“Why is this a limited edition? That’s crazy,” @majesticallymadeover adds.
Did she still buy it? Yes.
What’s so special about this cheese?
Viewers in the comments section had a few theories about what all was different with this cheese pack vs. a standard bag of shredded cheddar.
“They didn’t put the powders that cause it to prevent clumping,” a person theorized.
This turned out not to be true, as the ingredient list includes potato starch to prevent caking.
“That’s real shredded cheddar cheese and basically shredded velveeta together,” another pointed out.
This person was right on the money with their observation. The packaging states that it is cheddar and processed American cheese. You know American cheese has a distinct creaminess to it.
The $2.24 Bake & Melt bag costs the same as standard Great Value shredded sharp cheddar, but comes with one ounce less. The details pages also show different food preparation methods.
The Bake & Melt is pasteurized while the standard bag is “cooked.”
Pasteurized vs. cooked
You’ve likely seen the word “pasteurized” on egg cartons and milk jugs.
Pasteurization refers to the process in which food is heated at a high temperature for a short amount of time to kill off harmful bacteria like E. coli and Listeria and disable some enzymes, but it can also kill good bacteria (you win some, you lose some). This process extends food’s shield life without much effect on its taste or nutritional value, the Virginia Department of Health reported.
Milk, for example, can be pasteurized by heating to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour or 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds, the FoodHandler stated.
Before pasteurizing became standard practice, certain foods and beverages would lead to diseases like tuberculosis and scarlet fever.
@majesticallymadeover ♬ original sound – MajesticallyMadeOverr
Pasteurizing a food item is not the same as cooking it.
The cooking process applies heat much more directly and for a longer time. Cooking can also significantly affect the taste and nutritional value of a food. But, like pasteurizing, cooking also kills bacteria and makes food (like meat) safe to eat.
The Daily Dot reached out to @majesticallymadeover for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to Walmart via email.
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