Is Sliced cheddar cheese Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, looking at the ingredient list for this sliced cheddar reveals a complex hybrid of dairy proteins and processed additives. The primary reason this product fails the vegan test is the reliance on casein. Casein is a protein found in milk, and here it is listed as a primary ingredient. It provides the structure and 'melt' that consumers expect from cheddar, but it is unequivocally an animal product.

Further down the list, we see milk and cream explicitly listed in the enzyme-modified cheese section. This confirms that the base of the product is dairy, not vegetable oil. While the product does contain canola oil to mimic the fat content of cheese, it is emulsified with dairy rather than replacing it entirely.

There is also a hidden non-vegan culprit: Vitamin D3. While vitamins are often added for nutritional fortification, Vitamin D3 is typically derived from lanolin, a waxy substance from sheep's wool. Strict vegans avoid this source. Finally, the carrageenan and soy flour are plant-based stabilizers used to improve texture, but they cannot outweigh the heavy dairy content.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, this sliced cheddar is a calorie-dense, high-fat food. The combination of casein and canola oil creates a product that is rich in saturated and unsaturated fats. It provides a decent amount of protein, but because that protein comes from dairy (casein), it is not a source of plant-based protein.

Regarding dietary fit, this product is high in sodium due to the sodium phosphate and sodium citrate used as emulsifiers. It fits the limits of a standard omnivorous diet or a keto diet (due to low carbs), but it does not align with heart-healthy diets that restrict sodium or saturated fat. For those looking to reduce cholesterol, the presence of cream makes this a less-than-ideal choice.