Cheese

59 products ranked by Scout score

Best cheese right now

Organic Valley Grassmilk Raw Cheddar 93/100
Scout's analysis: Raw, grass-fed, organic cheddar with a three-ingredient traditional label — cultured unpasteurized milk, sea salt, vegetarian enzymes. A fermented whole food scored…
Ambrosi Organic Parmigiano Reggiano Wedge 93/100
Scout's analysis: USDA-organic, grass-fed Parmigiano Reggiano DOP aged over 18 months — milk, salt, rennet, cultures and nothing else. The benchmark for what cheese is. Sold as a wedge.
BelGioioso Parmesan Cheese 92/100
Scout's analysis: This product is a traditionally aged parmesan cheese made from high-quality milk, offering concentrated protein, calcium, and flavor with minimal processing and clean…

What to skip

Kraft Singles American Cheese Twin Pack 1/100
Scout's analysis: Kraft Singles are a 'pasteurized prepared cheese product' — a formulation that does not legally qualify as cheese. Built on emulsifier and additive processing rather…
Daiya CHEDDAR STYLE SHREDS 35/100
Scout's analysis: This product is ultra-processed, containing multiple additives and ingredients like safflower oil, which is high in omega-6 fatty acids and can promote inflammation.…
KROGER, SMALL CURD COTTAGE CHEESE 48/100
Scout's analysis: This cottage cheese is ultra-processed, containing multiple additives such as maltodextrin, carrageenan, and guar gum, which can impact digestive health and increase…

Ingredients to watch in cheese

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 59 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Natural Flavor in 5 of 59
Potassium Sorbate in 4 of 59
En:e235 in 3 of 59
Sorbic acid in 3 of 59
Yeast extract in 2 of 59
Maltodextrin in 2 of 59

What the better cheese have in common

Cheese Cultures in 13 of 59
Sea salt in 6 of 59
Rennet in 6 of 59
Cream in 6 of 59
Cultures in 5 of 59

Common questions about cheese

What scores highest in cheese on Scout?

Organic Valley Grassmilk Raw Cheddar leads Scout's cheese ranking at 93/100, followed by Ambrosi Organic Parmigiano Reggiano Wedge (93) and BelGioioso Parmesan Cheese (92). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in cheese?

Kraft Singles American Cheese Twin Pack scores 1/100, the lowest of the 59 products Scout has analyzed in cheese; next lowest are Daiya CHEDDAR STYLE SHREDS (35) and KROGER, SMALL CURD COTTAGE CHEESE (48). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in cheese?

Across these 59 products the most common flagged ingredients are Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, En:e235, Sorbic acid, Yeast extract, Maltodextrin. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

How does Scout score cheese?

Every product in cheese gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores cheese

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →