Products

We tested 36 shredded cheese products available Australia-wide through at least one of the major supermarket chains. We focused on shredded mozzarella, cheese blends and ‘tasty’ cheese products, including reduced-fat (‘light’) and lactose-free varieties. We didn’t include parmesan, flavoured cheese varieties or vegan cheese. Price is based on pack price in stores (not on special offer) in June 2019.

Tasting

Our experts tasted the cheese samples blindly (without knowing the brands). The mozzarella and cheese blends were grilled on plain pizza bases and the tasty cheese was grilled on plain white sliced toasted bread. We also gave the experts a raw portion of each cheese to take into consideration.

Scores

Experts independently judged all shredded cheeses, scoring each sample for flavour and aroma, texture and presentation, which included evenness of melt. The CHOICE Expert Rating, our overall score, is made up of taste 70% (50% flavour and aroma, 30% texture, 20% presentation) and nutrition 30% (the product’s Health Star Rating was calculated from the data in the nutrition information panel and converted to a percentage). 

We recommend products with a CHOICE Expert Rating of 80% or more.