this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2026
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Those packets are shelf-stable. It probably came from a pizza place, where there's a bin on the counter (along with red pepper flakes) to grab if you want some on your take out order.
Never seen that before, so I'll take your word for it.
something about pasteurization, only doing it too much or freeze-drying or something. shelf stability has come a remarkable distance in the last 100 years. idk what method they use as i'm not involved in their manufacturing and am only an amateur food scientist.
I get that, but I don't think I've ever seen long term shelve stable cheese at room temperature. Maybe crackers with cheese or something similar, but never plain cheese.
it's the powdered parmesan. i can't explain it. like this shit has a bad rap, but it's just cheese
i think you're supposed to refrigerate after you open it, but before you open it it's stable.
It's 90% cheese, like 10% sand/sawdust.
when they did the sawdust test, kraft was the only one that came out all cheese. seems kind of counterintuitive because they are the stereotypical cheap cheese. which makes me wonder, but y'know, they have the money to build the facilities to do the freeze dry and all that without having to add the sawdust, and the smaller cheeseries don't necessarily, so it makes sense.
this stuff is basically the result of military tests on shelf stability in the 1950s. it's why the flavor ain't great. but it'll last