Is String Cheese Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
String cheese is Level 3 and generally not ultra-processed. It is real mozzarella cheese that has been stretched and shaped into sticks — the "stringing" is a physical property of heated mozzarella, not a chemical process. Most brands use pasteurized milk, cultures, enzymes, and salt.
Key Findings
- •The stringing property comes from pasta filata (stretched curd) — the same traditional Italian technique used for mozzarella, just shaped differently
- •Most string cheese brands use 4-5 real cheese ingredients; the main additive concern is natamycin (mold inhibitor) on the surface
- •String cheese is substantially less processed than processed cheese products like Kraft Singles, which require emulsifying salts to exist in slice form
Why Is String Cheese Level 3?
String cheese gets its texture from a step in traditional mozzarella production called pasta filata — the Italian stretching technique where heated cheese curd is pulled and folded repeatedly, aligning the protein (casein) molecules into parallel strands. When you peel a string cheese, you are separating these aligned protein fibers. This is the same process used to make traditional mozzarella, just shaped into a stick instead of a ball. The base ingredients are standard for any cheese: pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, and enzymes (rennet). Where commercial string cheese diverges from artisan mozzarella: some brands add natamycin (a mold inhibitor applied to the surface), sorbic acid (another preservative), and annatto or paprika extract (for color in non-white varieties). These are minor additions compared to processed cheese products (like Kraft Singles, which contain emulsifying salts and milk protein concentrate). One often-missed detail: string cheese is individually wrapped in plastic, which keeps each stick fresh but generates significant packaging waste per ounce of cheese.
String Cheese Processing Level Distribution
How 999 string cheese products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 5.0 · Average nutrition score: 3.7/10
String Cheese Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed string cheese products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queso Oaxaca Melting String Cheese | Tio Francisco | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Organic String Cheese Low Moisture, Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, String Cheese | Organic Valley | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Organic, Mozzarella Low-moisture Part Skim String Cheese, Mozzarella | Shoprite | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Mozzarella Low-moisture Part-skim String Cheese, Mozzarella | Essential Everyday | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Organic, Mozzarella Low-moisture Part Skim String Cheese, Mozzarella | Shoprite | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Mozzarella Whole Milk Low-moisture String Cheese Sticks, Mozzarella | Shoprite | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Organic String Cheese, String | Galbani | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Queso Oaxaca Mexican Melting String Cheese, Queso Oaxaca | Nuestro Queso | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Low-moisture Part-skim Mozzarella String Cheese | Essential Everyday | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
| Low-moisture Mozzarella String Cheese | Hannaford | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 3 |
How to Read String Cheese Labels
- 1
Base ingredients should be: pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes — standard for any mozzarella
- 2
Natamycin is a surface mold inhibitor — common in string cheese and generally considered safe, but it is an additive artisan mozzarella does not need
- 3
Avoid varieties listing "modified milk ingredients" or "milk protein concentrate" — these indicate a more processed formulation
- 4
Sargento, Polly-O, and Galbani use straightforward mozzarella recipes; store brands vary more widely
Frequently Asked Questions
Is string cheese real cheese?
Yes. String cheese is real mozzarella made from milk, cultures, enzymes, and salt — then stretched and shaped into sticks. The stringing effect is a natural property of heated mozzarella protein, not an artificial process. It is fundamentally different from "cheese product" or "cheese food."
Is string cheese a healthy snack?
From a processing standpoint, string cheese is Level 3 — moderately processed with a short, recognizable ingredient list. Nutritionally, it provides 6-8g protein per stick with moderate fat and sodium. It is one of the simpler packaged snack options available.
What is the difference between string cheese and mozzarella?
String cheese IS mozzarella — specifically part-skim mozzarella made using the pasta filata (stretching) technique and shaped into sticks instead of balls. The cheese itself is identical; only the shape and individual packaging differ.
Why does string cheese string?
When mozzarella curd is heated and stretched (pasta filata), the casein proteins align into parallel fibers — like combing wet hair. Peeling the cheese separates these aligned fibers into strings. This is a physical property of the protein structure, not a chemical additive.