Dollars Make Sense: Reading Labels
By Faye
@FayeHazel (40230)
United States
February 28, 2017 10:30am CST
I don't know about you but I love the Parmesan cheese. No, not the fancy big chunks of it. I mean the poor people version -- little crumbles in a shake can. But even this has gone up in price. The name brand seems to run around $5. The Store brand was $3. But I am always one for a deal. I saw the ultra value brand for about $2. The name brand, and store brand were marked "Parmesan Cheese". The ultra value brand was marked "Italian style topping". I just about left it sit thinking it was filler. Something told me to read the labels. Sure enough. Same ingredients as the other brand. Sure! I'll save $1 for the same item. :-)
Ah, this link seems to suggest that it may have filler in it, no matter which brand I choose. Lol. :
News that the FDA has found non-dairy filler ingredients used to make paper in your parmesan cheese isn’t great, but will it kill you? Probably not
12 people like this
9 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
28 Feb 17
I just recently heard about the wood pulp that is in some cheese. It's really unbelievable 
5 people like this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
Oh dear. Wood pulp. Who'd a thunk? Well, as long as it doesn't hurt a person... still though, what some places to do save $.
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
@LoriAMoore I've heard some fast food places mix in soybean with beef. I like that idea better than wood pulp.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22923)
• India
1 Mar 17
We hear of this kind of mixing here too. Its getting difficult to buy processed food. The 'organic' labels cost a lot.
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22923)
• India
1 Mar 17
@FayeHazel best is if you can grow your own veggies
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
@responsiveme So true - for the past 2 years I've had a garden, but now I won't be able to garden there. I hope there will be some land for me to use somewhere.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
So true, unfortunate the "organic" stuff is so expensive
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (120592)
• United States
1 Mar 17
Yes, I've been reading a lot about how wood pulp is in a lot of things. They recommend buying whole carrots because if you buy them already sliced or chopped they have wood pulp in them. So now I try to look at the labels. I can't avoid the filler all the time, but I try to minimize it.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (120592)
• United States
1 Mar 17
@FayeHazel I know, it's crazy. I read about it on a site that I believe is called Eat This Not That.
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
Oh my. In carrots? I don't even know how they could do that. Hm, usually I buy the "matchstick" carrots. Maybe that's not the best idea after all..
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
28 Feb 17
My kids love that kind too! I prefer the real stuff, the chunks that we shred ourselves. Yum. But yeah, I buy the "fake" type for my crazy kids!
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
1 Mar 17
@FayeHazel nowadays, you can get the real stuff very reasonably priced. it think it has become competitive. even aldi sells it. there's "better" than Aldi's, but the aldi is pretty good.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
I have wondered if I have even had the real kind, maybe I would like it more. Uh Oh I better not spoil myself.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
@jillybean1222 Aldi has some good deals -- if my closest store were closer.... I like their produce prices but have noticed that you better be ready to use it, too
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
2 Feb 18
Ha ha, good point there. What's wrong with saying Parmesean? I would doubt you could trademark a food's name .....
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Mar 17
@FayeHazel As part of a prize we each received a small cheap tin of chocolates. There were 8 pieces rattling round in each tin and they all easily fitted into one tin. Such a rip-off. And matches used to be 60 in a box and are down to 45 I think now.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
@JudyEv Wow. That is just sad. Make the packaging smaller as with your chocolates - is what I think. We're smart enough to know when the packaged contains extra air. I know with some varieties of pre-shredded cheese, the bags always used to have 2 cups of shredded whatever -- some of them -- the bags remain the same size, however the amount of cheese is 1 and 1/2 cups.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
1 Mar 17
That's a very good point. I've also noticed that sometimes the price stays the same, and the package stays the same size but the serving goes down
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
3 Mar 17
It is obviously very different then fresh grated parmesan so I should not be surprised it has so much filler but I am. Most anything that is shelf stable like that probably isn't as good for us unfortunatly.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
1 Mar 17
hmmm, i wonder what are the ingredients of the different types of cheese, like the parmesan cheese? where or what type of cows is this made from?
