Is MOZZARELLA shredded cheese Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I always tell people to look past the main ingredient and scrutinize the 'anti-caking blend.' This is where most diets fail. When you buy a bag of shredded mozzarella, you aren't just buying cheese; you are buying a delivery system for starches.

Let's look at the specific ingredients in this product: low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (cured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, microbial enzymes) and the anti-caking blend (potato starch, tapioca starch, natamycin).

The culprit here is the starch blend. Potato starch and tapioca starch are pure carbohydrates. Manufacturers use them to absorb moisture and keep the cheese shreds from turning into a solid block in the bag. While the amount per serving seems small (usually less than a gram), strict Keto adherents count 'net carbs' meticulously. These starches contribute to that total and, more importantly, they spike insulin just like any other starch. If you are trying to maintain deep ketosis, even these small amounts of potato and tapioca are enough to flag this product as non-compliant.

Nutritional Value

From a macronutrient perspective, standard mozzarella is a powerhouse for the Keto diet. It is high in fat, moderate in protein, and naturally very low in sugar. However, the 'shredded' version alters the math slightly. Because of the added potato and tapioca starches, you will see a slight increase in the carbohydrate count on the nutrition label—usually under 1g per serving, but it is still an unnecessary carb source.

For a diet that limits carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day, every gram counts. Relying on a cheese that has been padded with starch fillers makes it harder to stay within your daily limit. Furthermore, while natamycin is a natural mold inhibitor and generally considered safe, the inclusion of starches makes the product less 'clean' from a nutritional standpoint. It dilutes the purity of the dairy fat you are seeking.