Do companies put aluminum on shredded cheese to prevent sticking?

No, companies do not use aluminum to prevent shredded cheese from sticking.

Here's why:

* Aluminum is a metal and would react with the cheese. This would create an unpleasant metallic taste and could also be harmful to consume.

* Aluminum is not a good anti-sticking agent. It doesn't have the properties needed to prevent cheese from sticking together.

So what do companies use?

They typically use cellulose (a type of plant fiber) as an anti-sticking agent. Cellulose is safe to consume and helps to prevent the cheese from clumping together. You might see it listed on the ingredients list as "cellulose" or "vegetable cellulose."

Some companies also use other ingredients like corn starch or modified food starch to help prevent sticking.

Important note: You might see a shiny, metallic sheen on some shredded cheeses. This is usually from the packaging material, not aluminum.