Recently, I saw a question on social media asking if Cheese Whiz has real cheese in it. It was once used in our house on hot dogs, hamburgers, and in macaroni and cheese dishes. We enjoyed the fact that it was spreadable, and we liked the tang it had. But, this question made me wonder what the heck we were putting into our bodies! What exactly are these Cheese Whiz ingredients? Let’s take a look at the top 10 ingredients listed on their label.
Top Three Cheese Whiz Ingredients
The top ingredient is on the label as modified milk ingredients, which is not actually milk. Modified milk ingredients means that they alter the milk component somehow. Sometimes, this would mean it’s cultured, like sour cream or yogurt and other times, it’s been chemically altered. The label doesn’t clarify which this one is in Cheese Whiz.
The second ingredient is water, which is good at least. Water is good for us.
The third ingredient is cheese. Well, that’s good too, right? The label on Cheese Whiz identifies as cheese but then qualifies it by listing the ingredients that are going into the cheese. According to the Cheese Wanker, the definition of cheese doesn’t qualify with the list of ingredients provided on the bottle. These cheese experts have obviously put more thought into this than I have, so I’ll agree with their decision.
Did Someone Say Chemicals?
The next ingredient in Cheese Whiz is corn maltodextrin. This is a fine, white powder that they process from corn. They cook the corn and then further break the substance down. It doesn’t have a taste, and it’s used to thicken a product. It is also a preservative so it extends the shelf life of a product. By the way, the shelf life for Cheese Whiz is 180 – 240 days. Like that’s normal…
Then we have sodium phosphates, which are a combination of salt and phosphates used in processed foods. It’s normally used in processed cheese to keep the oils and water stable and mixed together.
Colour is next on the ingredient list. Kraft wants us to believe Cheese Whiz is cheese, so they colour it to a nice, yellow, cheesy colour. Just another chemical to round out our food groups.
More Salt as Cheese Whiz Ingredients?
The next ingredient is salt – on top of the sodium phosphates. But, salt is at least a more natural product. This one isn’t overly processed. Obviously, I haven’t eaten this product in several years. I wonder how salty my taste buds would find it now! Might be a good research blog for the future.
Are There Any Cheese Whiz Ingredients that are Easy to Pronounce?
Sodium alginate is the next ingredient. What is that? Sodium means salt, but surely there isn’t more salt in this product? It’s actually an ingredient extracted from brown seaweed that’s used as a further stabilizer in cheese.
Modified corn starch is next, which is a starch made from corn and then modified to make a product last longer. Like the corn maltodextrin, it can also be a thickener.
The final ingredient we are going to look at is lactic acid. Most cheese naturally contains lactic acid, and while it prolongs the life of a product, it does have some documented benefits. Hey, finally a good ingredient!
The Nutritional Information
Cheese Whiz is definitely not keto-friendly. Approximately 1 tablespoon of Cheese Whiz has 40 calories in it. There is 2 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs (2 grams of which is sugar), and 1 gram of protein. That’s not even considering the amount of chemicals you are putting into your body. I would definitely go with a classic cheese sauce recipe if you’re craving it. Or, here’s a thought, just use regular old cheese!
Wendy
