Is Walmart trying to sell shredded cheese as something fancier—and more expensive—than it should be? We’re going to get to the bottom of it.
While doing her usual grocery shopping, Walmart shopper @majesticallymadeover noticed something new in the dairy section.
Among the packaged cheeses was a supposedly special bag that was advertised as a “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 cheddar and American cheese from Great Value, advertised as “Bake & Melt” and “great for baking.”
“See how they just rub it in our faces and make us spend money? What’s the point? They just make up names now,” says @majesticallymadeover in the clip.
She further pointed out that the cheese package is not that special since many types of cheese can be baked and melted.
“Why is this limited edition? This is insane,” adds @majesticallymadeover.
Did she buy it anyway? Yes.
What is special about this cheese?
In the comments section, viewers had some theories about what was different about this bag of cheese compared to a regular bag of shredded cheddar.
“They didn’t add the powder that prevents clumping,” someone guessed.
This turned out to be false, as the ingredients list includes potato starch to prevent clumping.
“This is real shredded cheddar cheese and basically shredded Velveeta combined,” noted another.
This person was absolutely right in his observation. The packaging says that it is cheddar and American processed cheese. American cheese is known to have a distinct creaminess.
The $2.24 bag of Bake & Melt costs the same as Great Value’s regular shredded spicy cheddar, but contains one ounce less. The detailed pages also show different methods of food preparation.
The Bake & Melt is pasteurized, while the standard bag is “cooked”.
Pasteurized vs. cooked
You’ve probably seen the term “pasteurized” on egg cartons and milk jugs.
Pasteurization is the process of heating food to high temperatures for a short time to kill harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and Listeria, and to deactivate some enzymes. But it can also kill good bacteria (some gain, some lose). This process extends the shelf life of food without significantly affecting taste or nutritional value, the Virginia Department of Health reported.
For example, milk can be pasteurized by heating it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour or to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds, FoodHandler explained.
Before pasteurization became standard practice, certain foods and beverages caused diseases such as tuberculosis and scarlet fever.
@majesticallymadeover ♬ Original sound – MajesticallyMadeOverr
Pasteurizing a food is not the same as cooking it.
Cooking applies heat much more directly and over a longer period of time. Cooking can also significantly affect the flavor and nutritional value of a food. But like pasteurization, cooking also kills bacteria and makes foods (like meat) safe to eat.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @majesticallymadeover via email and Instagram direct message, as well as Walmart via email, for comment.
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