Consumer perceptions of anticake agents on shredded Cheddar cheese.

Prepackaged natural cheese shreds are a growing consumer category. Anticake agents are applied to commercial cheese shreds to assist with shelf life and ease of use. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer perception of 3 anticake agents applied at various levels to Cheddar cheese shreds.

Drivers of liking for Cheddar cheese shreds.

The prepackaged cheese shred category has steadily increased over the past few years, and Cheddar shreds represent the highest volume in this category. Recent studies have established extrinsic attributes that drive purchase in this category, but no published studies have addressed the intrinsic flavor and texture properties that drive consumer liking. The objective of this study was to determine the desirable flavor and functional attributes for Cheddar cheese shreds.