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It’s not mold, it’s calcium lactate (2018)

(www.thephcheese.com)
406 points ilikepi | 9 comments | 31 Mar 25 14:49 UTC | HN request time: 1.941s | source | bottom
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xattt ◴[31 Mar 25 15:20 UTC] No.43536057[source]▶
Tangential, but I recently noticed that natamycin, an antifungal agent, is being used in packages of shredded cheese as a preservative.

I was a little taken aback on seeing it, given that antibiotic stewardship has been pushed so much in the last decade.

I realize that natamycin is an antifungal and not an antibiotic, and that mechanisms of developing resistance are likely different between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, I’m still somewhat concerned what long-term low-level exposure will mean.

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foxyv ◴[31 Mar 25 19:23 UTC] No.43538753[source]▶
I stopped buying pre-shredded cheese a decade ago. Block cheese is cheaper, lasts longer, and cooks better. Pre-shredded is just worse in every way aside from convenience. Using a cheap rotary grater like they have in restaurants makes this almost a non-issue.
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tshaddox ◴[31 Mar 25 19:54 UTC] No.43539129[source]▶
Isn't the convenient version of something always worse in every way aside from convenience than the less convenient version of the same thing?
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1. xp84 ◴[31 Mar 25 20:29 UTC] No.43539579[source]▶
With the caveat that the ways it's "worse" can easily be irrelevant compared to the convenience.

For instance, I buy way more shredded cheese than blocks. It removes an annoying step that creates a dirty utensil that isn't trivial to clean (grater). If I'm making 3 quesadillas a day for picky children to eat at different snack or mealtimes, I don't want to own 3 shredders, nor to have to carefully scrub the cheese off it 3x per day.

I haven't noticed any important difference in the cheese besides saving me like 15 minutes a day of fussing with cheese graters.

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2. foxyv ◴[31 Mar 25 20:46 UTC] No.43539780[source]▶
My parents bought pre-grated as well. It's a great option for someone with kids.

However, I would recommend grating a block for a couple days worth at a time and keeping it in the fridge in a food storage container. That way you don't need 3 shredders or to spend all your time cleaning shredders every time you want a quesadilla. An electric rotary shredder or a kitchen-aide attachment makes it trivial.

Also, try adding a little canned Red Enchilada sauce to your quesadilla or egg and cheese burritos. It's life changing!

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3. thaumasiotes ◴[01 Apr 25 00:37 UTC] No.43541607[source]▶
> If I'm making 3 quesadillas a day for picky children to eat at different snack or mealtimes, I don't want to own 3 shredders

I make quesadillas in the microwave. You don't need to grate the cheese; slicing is just as good.

This assumes you're using corn tortillas; I assume flour tortillas don't microwave well.

4. thaumasiotes ◴[01 Apr 25 02:18 UTC] No.43542162[source]▶
> Also, try adding a little canned Red Enchilada sauce to your quesadilla

That's just an enchilada. They're good, but they're not quesadillas.

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5. foxyv ◴[01 Apr 25 02:49 UTC] No.43542319{3}[source]▶
A hotdog is a sandwich?
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6. thaumasiotes ◴[01 Apr 25 03:24 UTC] No.43542513{4}[source]▶
No, a quesadilla in enchilada sauce is not different from an enchilada in any way, form factor or otherwise. A cheese enchilada is a fried tortilla filled with cheese and coated in enchilada sauce. By the time you've added enchilada sauce to a quesadilla, you've already completed the process of making an enchilada.
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7. foxyv ◴[01 Apr 25 19:17 UTC] No.43550401{5}[source]▶
There is a podcast dedicated to such food related pedantry called "A Hotdog is a Sandwich." Pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgcVfgkzo4oBgSdPCB0B2Cg

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8. thaumasiotes ◴[01 Apr 25 20:32 UTC] No.43551023{6}[source]▶
Would you really call it pedantry to object to someone saying "for an even better cheese pizza, try sprinkling pepperoni over the top"?
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9. foxyv ◴[02 Apr 25 15:27 UTC] No.43557774{7}[source]▶
As a pedant myself, I would say yes!