Jewel-Osco has removed several Parmesan cheese products from its shelves amid concerns over the use of cellulose, or filler made from wood pulp.
The Illinois-based supermarket chain said it removed all Essential Everyday Parmesan Cheese products from all of its 185 stores Wednesday, one day after a Bloomberg Business investigation revealed several store-bought grated cheeses tested positive for wood-pulp content. The report indicated the Essential Everyday 100 percent Parmesan Cheese product sold at Jewel-Osco was 8.8 percent cellulose.
“Our supplier of the parmesan cheese is aware of the issue and we look forward to learning more about their investigation,” Jewel-Osco spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco said in a statement.
Other cheeses tested included Wal-Mart Store’s Inc.’s Grated Parmesan Cheese, which registered 7.8 percent cellulose, Whole Foods 365 brand tested 0.3 percent and Kraft had 3.8 percent.
Cellulose, a powdered plant fiber, is legal in the US and is often used to keep pre-grated cheese from clumping.
Jewel-Osco noted the chain had also started phasing out the Essential Everday Parmesan brand before the recall and was replacing it with the Jewel-Osco Signature Brand.
It was not clear if other supermarket chains have also recalled the product.