Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Kraft shredded cheddar cheese - fat free vs regular
Briefly introduce your food products (Optional)
Kraft’s shredded cheddar cheese is a widely recognized and convenient dairy product, often used to enhance the flavor and texture of everyday meals. Available in various forms, including regular and fat-free options, it caters to diverse dietary needs and preferences. In this comparison, we will examine the differences between Kraft’s regular and fat-free shredded cheddar cheese, focusing on key factors such as nutritional content, taste, texture, and ingredient composition.
Post pictures (Mandatory)
Ingredient lists (4 points)
| Fat-free shredded cheese | Regular shredded cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Nonfat Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Skim Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Yeast*, Natural Flavor*, Colored With Annatto And Titanium Dioxide, Vitamin A Palmitate), Modified Cornstarch Added To Prevent Caking, Natamycin (A Natural Mold Inhibitor).[1]
*ingredient Not In Regular Cheddar Cheese |
Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto [Color]), Modified Cornstarch Added To Prevent Caking, Natamycin (A Natural Mold Inhibitor).[2] |
| Sugar substitutes | none | none |
| Fat substitutes | none | none |
| Additives | modified cornstarch, annatto, natamycin, enzymes, titanium dioxide, vitamin A palmitate[1] | modified cornstarch, annatto, natamycin, enzymes[2] |
Role of additives
Modified cornstarch - processed form of cornstarch used as a food additive. It is a thickener and helps create a creamy, firm texture. It is also a stabilizer so it helps ingredients like water, fat and protein from separating. It works with emulsifying salts (like sodium phosphate) to blend fat and water and also improves shelf-life.[3]
Annatto - natural food coloring made from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), and it's commonly used to give foods a yellow to orange color without affecting its taste.[4]
Natamycin - natural antifungal additive used to prevent mold and yeast growth in foods — especially cheese and dairy products.[5]
Enzymes - Cuts milk proteins (casein) to form curds and separate whey, breaks down fats and proteins, helps create smoothness or meltability, especially in processed cheese.[6]
Titanium dioxide (only in fat free version) - makes foods look whiter, brighter, and more opaque.[7]
Vitamin A palmitate (only in fat free version) - Adds vitamin A to foods that may lose it during the process of when fat is removed.[8]
Compare and contrast
Differences: The fat free cheese has significantly less caloric content per serving (¼ cup or around 28 grams) which has 45 calories per serving compared to 110 in the regular version. The regular version has a total of 9 grams of fat, while the fat-free cheese has 0 grams, as expected.
The regular cheese also has more cholesterol, having 25 milligrams compared to the fat-free one. Surprisingly, the fat-free cheese has 280 mg compared to the 170mg in the regular one, which makes us question if the fat-free alternative is truly ‘healthier’. The fat free cheese also has slightly more protein and carbohydrates, having 9 grams and 2 grams respectively compared to the regular one which has 6 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrates.
The fat-free cheese also has 2 additives which the regular cheese does not have, which are titanium dioxide, yeast and vitamin A palmitate.
Similarities: they both use modified cornstarch, annatto, natamycin and enzymes as additives in their product. These ingredients contribute to the colour, texture, and shelf life of the cheese. They also both have 0 grams of sugar and dietary fiber potassium, iron, and vitamin D. They also both indicate the “contains milk” label on the bottom of the nutritional table.
Labels (1 points)
| Labels | Kraft fat-free shredded cheddar cheese | Kraft regular shredded cheddar cheese |
|---|---|---|
| Common name | Shredded fat free cheddar cheese | Shredded cheddar cheese |
| Bilingualism | English and French | English and French |
| Country of origin | U.S.A | U.S.A |
| Date Markings & Storage Instructions | "Best Before" date and "Keep Refrigerated" printed on back | "Best Before" date and "Keep Refrigerated" printed on back |
| Name & Principle Place of Business | Kraft Heinz Canada ULC, Toronto, Ontario | Kraft Heinz Canada ULC, Toronto, Ontario |
| Legibility & Location | Clearly printed, back of package, legible font | Clearly printed, back of package, legible font |
| Net Quantity | 320g | 320g |
| Claim and Statements | "Fat-free" on front label, and also claims to have "no rbST hormones" at the front and states that "no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-related and non rbST related cows". | Claims to have "no rbST hormones" at the front and states that "no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-related and non rbST related cows". |
| Food Additives | modified cornstarch, annatto, natamycin, enzymes, titanium dioxide, vitamin A palmitate | modified cornstarch, annatto, natamycin, enzymes |
| Nutrition Facts | 45 calories, 0g fat, 9g protein, 2g carbs, 280mg sodium (per 28g serving). Contains other micronutrients as well as a daily % value. | 110 calories, 9g fat, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 170mg sodium (per 28g serving). Contains other micronutrients as well as a daily % value. |
| List of Ingredients and Allergens | Nonfat Cheddar Cheese (pasteurized skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, yeast*, natural flavor*, colored with annatto and titanium dioxide, vitamin A palmitate), modified cornstarch, natamycin. Contains milk.
*Ingredient not found in regular cheddar cheese Has a disclaimer that reads "contains milk" which can be a potential allergen. |
Cheddar Cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto [color]), modified cornstarch, natamycin. Contains milk.
Has a disclaimer that reads "contains milk" which can be a potential allergen. |
Personal Choice (5 points)
Please submit your individual component of this assignment on Canvas to protect your privacy and your personal opinion
References
Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page.
Note: Before writing your wiki article on the UBC Wiki, it may be helpful to review the tips in Wikipedia: Writing better articles.[9]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://kraftnaturalcheese.com/product/shredded-cheese/cheddar-fat-free/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://kraftnaturalcheese.com/product/shredded-cheese/sharp-cheddar/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.ingredion.com/na/en-us/ingredients/ingredient-types/starches/modified-starch#:~:text=For%20starters%2C%20achieving%20the%20perfect,such%20as%20water%20and%20oil). Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.uwl.ac.uk/business/why-are-some-cheeses-orange#:~:text=On%20the%20contrary%2C%20in%20the,Wadhwani%20and%20McMahon%2C%202012). Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8595390/#:~:text=Natamycin%20is%20a%20natural%20antimicrobial,%2C%20juices%2C%20wines%2C%20etc. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-additives/enzymes-used-processing.html. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/titanium-dioxide-in-food. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinyl_palmitate#:~:text=Retinyl%20palmitate%20is%20used%20as,vitamin%20A%20stable%20in%20milk. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Writing better articles. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].
 |
This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200. |