Does Shredded Cheese Have Cellulose? Sargento Yes, Tillamook No

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Shredded and Sargento Sharp Cheddar Shredded both list potato starch, natamycin and annatto on their labels. The main ingredient difference is powdered cellulose, which appears only on the Sargento label. Per 28 g serving, Sargento lists 110 calories, 180 mg sodium and 7 g protein, while Tillamook lists 120 calories, 200 mg sodium and 6 g protein.

Key takeaways

• Per 28 g, Sargento lists powdered cellulose, potato starch, natamycin and annatto. Tillamook lists potato starch, natamycin and annatto, with no cellulose.
• Per 28 g, Sargento shows 110 calories, 180 mg sodium and 7 g protein. Tillamook shows 120 calories, 200 mg sodium and 6 g protein.
• Both brands name potato starch as an anti-clumping or anti-caking agent, and Sargento says its cellulose is added for the same purpose.
• 21 CFR 172.155 caps natamycin at 20 ppm in the finished cheese. Both labels declare it, but the amount either brand uses was not disclosed.
• Both labels declare milk, and FDA lists milk among the nine major food allergens.

Label item (per 28 g)	Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Shredded	Sargento Sharp Cheddar Shredded
Calories	120	110
Total fat	10 g (13% DV)	9 g (11% DV)
Saturated fat	6 g (30% DV)	6 g (28% DV)
Sodium	200 mg (9% DV)	180 mg (8% DV)
Protein	6 g	7 g
Total carbohydrate	1 g	2 g (1% DV)
Calcium	170 mg (15% DV)	15% DV
Potassium	30 mg	20 mg
Powdered cellulose	Not listed	Listed
Potato starch	Listed	Listed
Natamycin	Listed	Listed
Annatto	Listed	Listed
Milk allergen statement	"Contains: Milk."	Not shown on the page; milk appears in the ingredient list

Does Sargento Shredded Sharp Cheddar Have Cellulose? Yes, Tillamook Does Not

Yes, the Sargento Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese, Fine Cut, 8 oz. ingredient statement lists powdered cellulose, while the Tillamook statement does not. The Sargento product page reads: "Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Vegetable Color)], Potato Starch (To Prevent Caking), Powdered Cellulose (To Prevent Caking), Natamycin (A Natural Mold Inhibitor)."

The Sargento page reports these values per 1/4 cup (28 g), with 8 servings per container. Because the label names cellulose as a separate ingredient, shoppers who want to confirm it can check the ingredient list on the package they are holding, since product formulas can change.

Does Tillamook Shredded Sharp Cheddar Have Cellulose? No Cellulose Is Listed

No, cellulose is not listed in the Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Shredded ingredient statement. The Tillamook product page reads: "Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto [color]), Potato Starch, Natamycin."

The statement names three additives outside the cheese itself: annatto inside the cheese parenthetical, then potato starch and natamycin. A label that does not list an ingredient does not by itself show what a product contains in every production run, so the package remains the reference point for any single container.

What Is Powdered Cellulose Doing in Sargento Sharp Cheddar Shredded?

On the Sargento label, powdered cellulose is listed with the purpose "To Prevent Caking," the same purpose given for potato starch. Caking refers to shreds sticking together in the bag.

Several details are not disclosed. Sargento does not state the cellulose source, such as whether it comes from wood pulp or another plant material, and it does not state how much cellulose a serving contains. The Sargento panel lists 0 g fiber per 28 g serving, and the page does not explain how that figure relates to the cellulose.

What Is Potato Starch in Tillamook and Sargento Shredded Cheese Used For?

Potato starch is used to prevent clumping in both products. Tillamook's tooltip describes it as "Used on the surface of shredded cheese to prevent clumping," and Sargento lists it as "(To Prevent Caking)."

Neither brand discloses how much potato starch is in a serving. The Tillamook panel shows 1 g of carbohydrate per 28 g and the Sargento panel shows 2 g, but neither page says how much of that carbohydrate comes from potato starch. Readers who track starches or carbohydrates for personal reasons will need to rely on the panel totals and the ingredient order rather than an additive-specific figure.

What Is Natamycin in Shredded Cheese, and How Much Is Allowed?

Natamycin, also called pimaricin, is a polyene macrolide antimycotic, and 21 CFR 172.155 allows it on cheese in amounts "not to exceed 20 milligrams per kilogram (20 parts per million) in the finished product."

Both labels list natamycin. Sargento describes it as "A Natural Mold Inhibitor," while Tillamook lists it without a descriptor. Neither brand discloses the parts-per-million level it uses.

Why Do Tillamook and Sargento Use Annatto, and What Is It Made From?

Annatto is a color in both products. Tillamook lists "Annatto [color]," and its page explains that annatto is "Derived from achiote seeds, it gives our cheddar its yellow color." Sargento lists "Annatto (Vegetable Color)." For more on the color itself, see Annatto: The Seed Color in Cheese and Snacks.

The federal cheddar standard lists "Coloring" as an optional ingredient, and 21 CFR 133.113 requires each ingredient to be declared on the label.

How Do Tillamook and Sargento Compare on Sodium Per 28 g Serving?

Per 28 g, Sargento lists 180 mg of sodium (8% DV) and Tillamook lists 200 mg (9% DV), a difference of 20 mg per serving. Both values come from each brand's own nutrition panel, and both pages use a 28 g serving. For a processed-cheese label comparison, see Kraft Singles vs Velveeta Slices: 230 mg vs 260 mg Sodium.

People who track sodium for medical reasons may want to review the full Nutrition Facts panel and discuss targets with a clinician.

How Do Tillamook and Sargento Compare on Protein and Calories per 28 g?

Per 28 g, Sargento lists 7 g of protein and 110 calories, while Tillamook lists 6 g of protein and 120 calories. Fat is 9 g for Sargento (11% DV) and 10 g for Tillamook (13% DV). Both list 6 g of saturated fat and 30 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Sargento's panel lists 2 g of total carbohydrate, while Tillamook lists 1 g. Both list 0 g of total sugars. Calcium is 15% DV for each brand, and Tillamook lists 170 mg of calcium. These are label values for one serving, and shoppers comparing packages should use the Nutrition Facts panel on the package in hand.

Is Tillamook vs Sargento Shredded Cheese Different on Milk Allergen Labeling?

Tillamook's page states "Contains: Milk." The Sargento page does not show a separate "Contains: Milk" statement, but its ingredient list begins with "Pasteurized Milk" inside the cheddar parenthetical.

FDA lists milk among the nine major food allergens, which are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. For people with a milk allergy, the ingredient list and any allergen statement on the package are the practical reference.

How Can You Spot Cellulose, Potato Starch, and Natamycin on a Shredded Cheese Label?

Use this checklist when comparing shredded cheese packages:

• Look for "Powdered Cellulose" or "Cellulose" as its own item after the cheese statement.
• Look for "Potato Starch," which may appear with a note such as "To Prevent Caking" or without one.
• Look for "Natamycin," which may appear with a note such as "A Natural Mold Inhibitor."
• Check how annatto is named, such as "Annatto [color]" or "Annatto (Vegetable Color)."
• Check the allergen line for "Contains: Milk" and the milk entry in the ingredient list.
• Confirm the serving size, since one brand lists 28 g and the other lists 1/4 cup (28 g).
• Compare sodium, protein and calories on the Nutrition Facts panel for the same serving size.

Labels show what a manufacturer declares, not how much of each ingredient is used, and they do not show how any individual person responds to an ingredient. The available sources do not establish long-term effects of natamycin or cellulose in cheese, and they do not study outcomes in people with specific sensitivities beyond the allergen statements. These remain open research questions.

Aurascan is a food-label scanner app for iPhone with a free tier. It explains each ingredient one by one with cited evidence rather than a single score, so you can read how each additive on these two labels is described and what regulators say about it. Scan the product yourself with the Aurascan app and compare the ingredient list on the package in front of you.

Related reading: for a lunchbox cheese, see Is Frigo Healthier Than Sargento? 80 vs 90 Cal per Stick.

Related reading: for spreads in the same dairy case, see Is I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Real Butter? vs Country Crock.