Are there sneaky additives in your natural cheese? We just removed 3!

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December 15, 2023

Cheesemaking dates back thousands of years. It's one of the earliest foods, made with just milk, naturally occurring cultures, real salt, and stomach for coagulant. But, with the modern push towards industrialization and consistency and food safety, this staple food that nourished humans through the winter has become complicated and somewhat artificial, deviating from its simple and completely natural origins.

The scary part if that, even the smartest food shoppers don't know it.

Are there additives in cheese? Yes, there are. But you can't know it just by looking at the label.

Sure, in a highly processed "cheese" like Velveeta, strange non-cheese ingredients like canola oil and food starch and annatto coloring are listed on the label. It's easy to see that an ultra melty block of bright orange Velveeta is not real cheese. It's more of a cheese-like substance.

But, in more old fashioned cheeses found in stores (even organic cheeses), the labels typically have a short list of ingredients: milk, cultures, rennet, and salt. With cheese, it’s required to list the main components of a cheese. But that's not the end of the story. What about the ingredients in the ingredients. It's NOT required to disclose those minute details on the label.

Here are some things NOT required on cheese labels:

Are synthetic vitamins added to the milk? Milk often has artificial vitamin A and D added to boost the nutrition panel.

What kind of rennet is used? There are animal, plant, and microbial forms of rennet. The exact kind if not required on the label. You can learn more about types of rennet here.

What ingredients are in the rennet? Plant and microbial rennet are typically made from and contain GMOs. And even the most natural veal rennets often contain additives like sodium acetate, propylene glycol, or potassium sorbate.

What strains are in the culture? This info is especially important to those who are intolerant or allergic to specific strains of bacteria, yeast, or fungi.

What ingredients are in the culture? All cultures nowadays have maltodextrin as an ingredient. This seems to be sadly unavoidable. Maltodextrin is a sweetener and a carbohydrate with no nutritional value. It's added because the freeze dried cultures need a basic food to jumpstart them back into action.

What kind of salt is used? Many salts have anti-caking agents such as sodium aluminosilicate or magnesium carbonate added to make it free-flowing. This is starkly different from a sea salt, which is simply dried salt that has formed naturally.

Are any anti-caking agents added to shredded cheese? Common anti-caking agents are potato starch, natamycin, and cellulose.

When I get into the nitty gritty, I always want to pull back a bit and look at the bigger picture. The additives listed above are present in tiny quantities, in trace amounts. That's why the FDA doesn't require them to be disclosed.

But, my question is, if there's trace amounts of synthetic non-food ingredients in everything I eat, then are they still "trace" amounts? Has there been testing on consistent consumption of these over time? Has there been testing done on how these additives interact with each other in my body? Do we know how long additives stay in your body and where? What are the long term health consequences? I am wary that these questions are being overlooked. I mean, what if the scientific findings were negative? It would affect big food businesses in big and potentially costly ways.

If you're with me on reducing synthetics and toxins and additives whenever possible, then you likely want to dig farther than the label. If you want to know the exact ingredients in your cheese, including any trace additives, you need to ask the company and cross your fingers that they'll do the research required to answer you completely. And that requires looking at the data sheets for every ingredient used. The fact is, you can't know from the label alone.

There's good news. There are some companies out there that are going above and beyond with food transparency, and that includes Miller's Bio Farm. Here's what's super natural about our cheese:

We don't add anything to the milk. It's simply milk (and non-homogenized, too). Plus, the milk comes from cows that are 100% grass-fed, genetically tested to be A2/A2, and free of synthetic chemicals.
We list the type of rennet used.
We list the exact strains used in the culture.
We list any trace additives in the "honest disclosure" section of the product description.
We use real Celtic sea salt.
We do NOT add any anti-caking agents to our shredded cheese.

If you would like any info that's not listed, please contact us! We are happy to go above and beyond and get you the info you deserve.

And there's even better news! Our cheesemakers recently switched to a beef rennet with no additives at all. This removed 3 additives from many of our cheeses. Hooray!

Any cheese made after June 2023 has only one additive in it, the maltodextrin in the cheese cultures (gee, I wish we could find an additive-free culture!).

The only two cheeses made with the older beef rennet include the sharp cheddar (should have additive-free rennet in 2025) and the smoked cheddar (should have additive-free rennet in March 2023).

What do you look for when shopping for cheese? How do you make sure you're avoiding additives and toxins?

I'd love to hear from you. Just comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear).

How to know if you can trust your raw milk farm

We believe in the value of raw milk when it’s produced with exceptional care. As a minimally processed food, raw milk retains its naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, healthy fats, and beneficial bacteria. When sourced from healthy animals and handled under strict cleanliness and temperature controls, raw milk offers a fresh, whole-food option that reflects milk in its natural state, nothing added, nothing altered, just carefully produced nutrition.

What are phytoestrogens and how can we limit them in our food sources?

With all the artificial ingredients, processed junk, and fillers in our food today, do phytoestrogens really deserve our attention? Let's take a closer look at what they are and share some practical ways you can reduce how much you're getting in your everyday meals.

From farm to fork: Understanding the value of sustainable pork

Raising Pork the Old-Fashioned Way: Miller's Bio Farm's Commitment to Quality At Miller's Bio Farm, we're not trying to reinvent the wheel, we're bringing back the farming practices that sustained communities for generations. As an Amish farm, we understand that good stewardship of the land and animals isn't just about business; it's about honoring creation and providing wholesome food for families. When you buy pork from us, you're getting more than just meat. You're getting the result of careful, intentional farming that puts the well-being of our animals, our land, and your family first. Let's be honest: most grocery store pork comes wrapped in pretty words like "natural" and "humanely raised," but these labels often don't mean much. It's easy to put nice words on a package, much harder to actually do the work of raising animals properly. We'd like to show you how we do things differently here at Miller's Bio Farm. What Makes Our Pork Different Good pork starts with good practices. For us, that means healthy soil, happy animals, responsible harvesting, and thoughtful management of everything that happens on our farm. Here's what that looks like in practice: Pasture-Raised the Way Nature Intended Pigs aren't meant to spend their lives standing on concrete in windowless buildings. They're curious, intelligent animals that need fresh air, sunshine, and room to express their natural behaviors, rooting in the dirt, foraging for food, and socializing with other pigs. On our farm, hogs live outdoors on pasture in the woods where they can do exactly that. We move them regularly to fresh ground, which keeps them healthy and gives the land time to rest and regenerate. This practice, sometimes called rotational grazing is farming wisdom that's been passed down for centuries. When pigs root and forage on fresh pasture, they're naturally fertilizing the soil and helping plants grow back stronger. The land becomes more fertile season after season, storing carbon and building topsoil instead of depleting it. No chemical fertilizers needed, just pigs doing what pigs do best. This kind of farming takes more work than confining animals in one place, but it produces better results for everyone involved: healthier pigs, healthier land, and better tasting pork. Raising Animals with Respect Our approach to animal care reflects our values as an Amish farming community. We believe animals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives. Processing with Care When harvest time comes, we work with a small processor who shares our commitment to humane treatment. Our animals are handled calmly and respectfully, with immediate stunning to ensure they feel no distress. This isn't just the right thing to do, it also affects meat quality. Animals that are stressed at slaughter produce tougher, less flavorful meat. Properly handled animals yield tender, delicious pork that you can taste the difference in. Studies also confirm what traditional farmers have long known: animals raised on pasture produce meat with better nutritional profiles, including higher omega-3 fatty acids and more vitamins. Wholesome Feed, No Shortcuts We raise heritage breed pigs, traditional breeds known for their hardiness and flavor. These animals thrive on pasture with supplemental non-GMO grain, and they don't need antibiotics or growth hormones to stay healthy. In industrial pork production, antibiotics are mixed into feed daily to prevent disease in overcrowded conditions. This practice is creating drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health, a problem we don't contribute to. Our pigs build strong immune systems naturally through good nutrition, clean living conditions, and low-stress environments. It's the way farming worked for centuries before shortcuts became the norm. Caring for God's Creation As stewards of the land, we take seriously our responsibility to leave it better than we found it. That's not just good farming, it's part of our calling. Building Soil, Not Destroying It Industrial agriculture depletes soil through intensive tilling, chemical dependence, and continuous monoculture cropping. This approach might boost short-term production, but it's not sustainable. We farm differently. Our rotational grazing actually improves soil health year after year. As pigs move across pasture, they naturally incorporate organic matter into the ground. Rest periods allow plants to regrow with deeper roots, which prevents erosion and captures carbon from the atmosphere. The result is living, fertile soil teeming with beneficial microorganisms soil that produces nutritious forage without synthetic inputs. Handling Waste Responsibly Large scale pig operations often store waste in enormous lagoons that leak pollutants into water supplies and release harmful gases into the air. These systems create environmental and health problems for surrounding communities. Our approach couldn't be more different. Because our pigs are spread across pasture and woodlands in manageable groups, their manure distributes naturally as valuable fertilizer rather than concentrating into a waste problem. When winter weather requires us to bring pigs into shelter, we bed them deeply with straw or wood shavings. This creates a composting effect that safely breaks down manure without environmental contamination. We also plant diverse pasture species specifically chosen to absorb nutrients and maintain ecological balance. Not all pigs like to go in the open shelter in the winter time and that's perfectly fine with us! The Real Story Behind Your Pork Chop Many people wonder which type of meat is most environmentally friendly. The truth is, it's not so much about whether you're eating pork, beef, or chicken, it's about how that animal was raised. Take beef as an example. You've probably heard that cattle are terrible for the environment. That criticism applies to feedlot operations where thousands of cattle are confined in small spaces and fed grain-heavy diets. But cattle raised properly on well managed pasture actually improve the land and sequester carbon. The animal itself isn't the problem; the farming method is. The same principle applies to pork. Factory farmed pork has serious environmental and ethical problems. Pasture raised pork from a regenerative farm like ours is a completely different product. One challenge specific to pork is that pigs need grain as part of their diet, they can't survive on grass alone like cattle can. This means sustainable pork production requires access to sustainably grown grain, ideally non-GMO corn and soybeans from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture. On our farm, we're committed to sourcing feed from responsible growers who share our values of soil health, biodiversity, and chemical free farming. What You're Really Buying When you purchase pork from Miller's Bio Farm, you're not just buying bacon or pork chops. You're supporting a way of farming that's been proven over generations, one that respects animals, regenerates land, and produces genuinely nutritious food. We're proud to raise pork the right way, even though it's more work. Because at the end of the day, that's what good stewardship looks like. And that's something worth bringing home to your table. Check out our: ✔️Corn & Soy Free ✔️ Vaccine, Drug, GMO-Free ✔️Heritage Breeds ✔️Woodland Raised PORK COLLECTION HERE: https://millersbiofarm.com/sto...

Are there sneaky additives in your natural cheese? We just removed 3!

More from the blog

How to know if you can trust your raw milk farm

What are phytoestrogens and how can we limit them in our food sources?

From farm to fork: Understanding the value of sustainable pork

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566