The mysterious world of Easy Cheese

by Bob Sassone, Posted Oct 11th 2006 @ 10:15AM

Easy Cheese Come on, you know you eat it. Even if you're a health food nut, you love this too. Maybe you convince yourself that if you put it on something healthy, like crackers that have no trans fats, or maybe rice cakes, you're still eating healthy. Maybe you think it's not too bad (after all, it's cheese!). But, really, it's cheese shoved into a can, after all, so how natural can it be?

Wired Magazine takes a look inside the can (and a look at the can itself) to see what exactly it is we're eating. The ingredients are whey, canola oil, salt, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, calcium phospate, lactic acid, sodium alginate, and apocarotenal. If you're wondering, that last one helps make it the color it is. And sodium alginate? This seaweedy extract is derived from brown algae (this just gets better and better), and increases viscosity. Motor oil for our intestines? Whatever.

And did you know it's not really an aerosol can? The cheese doesn't come into contact with the propellant. You learn something new every day.

I like my Easy Cheese on Triscuits.

(Thanks to Adam!)

Filed Under: Science, Hacking Food, Pop Food, Magazines, Ingredients
Tags: canned cheese, canola oil, cheese, crackers, hacking food, kraft, pop food, salt, sodium alginate, SodiumAlginate, squirt-on cheese

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Reader comments (Page 4 of 4)

10-15-2006 @7:55PM gary said... I love the stuff. Put it on a cracker of your choice and it's heaven for munchies. I do not not watch what I eat. I am going to enjoy whatever time I have on this earth and trying to live to be 100 is not my goal while depriving myself of the things that life has to offer
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11-03-2006 @3:50PM Scottydont said... there should be a cookbook for stuff like Easy Cheese
and other naughty food like that
in fact i need some more
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10-15-2006 @8:11PM Amanda said... Easy cheese in bugles!!! MMmm The best!!
Also good mixed w/ whipped butter and cream cheese for a awesome pretzel dip!!

Definately a family fav!!

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10-15-2006 @9:17PM Stephanie said... What about that amazing Zaxby's sauce? there's ancovies in it. I find that a bit weirder than the seaweed, and i'd much rather eat it than the easy cheese!
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10-15-2006 @9:40PM cheesy cans said... i think its a good blip of information. i didn't want to know seaweed stuff was in it, but the cheese is really good.
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