West Virginia woman buys Walmart Great Value sliced sharp cheddar. Then she notices something’s missing—again

A West Virginia woman noticed something off with her Walmart cheddar slices. Namely, that something was missing between the layers of her Great Value sharp and mild cheddar slices.

B (@bsbookishbites) asked who she had to complain to at Walmart in order to get paper layers in between the cheddar cheese slices. 

In a video with more than 10,000 views, she explained that the Great-Value-Brand Walmart cheddar slices and mild cheddar slices both do not include wax paper in between the layers. She noted that “provolone, the Swiss, all of those have [a] … little wax paper, and you can pull the slices apart just fine.”

“For literally every other type of cheese there is wax paper. Did the factory say [expletive] it for the cheddars?” she asked.

What’s Up With These Walmart Cheddar Slices?

Many Americans have purchased slices of cheese, only to notice small sheets of wax paper between the layers. It can be an annoyance, especially for anyone who has grabbed two slices of cheese for a sandwich only to bite into a waxy sheet between them.

But there’s a purpose behind the separation that saves consumers from another headache. 

Most sliced cheeses come in large packages. When they’re not separated by a layer of film, they can tend to stick together, break, or even congeal into one product. That’s because as cheese moves during distribution and even sits in refrigeration, the product adheres to itself. Factors such as the temperature, humidity, and storage can all affect whether the cheese becomes a large block or a crumbly mess before even ending up in a grocery store. 

The patent for the vacuum sheet applicator, a device that applies sheets to products, even notes that it’s often used to prevent cheese from sticking together. “Cheese slices tend to ‘grow’ back together unless the slices are separated by sheets of thin, flexible material,” the patent says. 

For that reason, it’s safe to assume that grocery stores use thin, flexible sheets of paper to maintain the product’s easy-to-use portions. 

@bsbookishbites *DISCLAIMER: I can't believe I have to post this, but some people seem genuinely upset over a small cheese video ?. I am not actually vehemently pissed over this. I was mildly annoyed because I was making five grilled cheeses and the cheese wasn't coming apart correctly. It's called VENTING, and I happened to notice that the cheddar cheese never has the wax paper (mind you this is only like my third time buying the cheddar in like a six month time frame.). In no world do I realistically expect Walmart to give a fuck, nor do I actually have a Karen-like tendency to actually bother them over it. Also, I'm fully aware that the cheese isn't manufactured directly in the Walmart that I shop at ?, But Walmart does have a say in the facilities that it IS made at because, y'know, ✨corporations ✨ Also, I even giggle towards the end of the video, so I'm obviously not having my day actually ruined. I didn't think people were going to feel personally offended over my cheese annoyance, but it's been a good laugh for me I guess ?. * I'm trying to not buy American singles anymore, so I've been buying these. For literally every other type of cheese there is wax paper. Did the factory say fuck it for the cheddars??? #food #walmart #greatvaluebrand #cheese #dobetter ♬ original sound – B'sBookishBites

The Cheese Separation Conundrum

Online, other reviewers have noticed the same thing as B. One review of Walmart’s Great Value sliced sharp Cheddar noted, “The Cheese is fine with one caveat. If you buy the 8 oz, the slices are not separated with paper. The cheese slices stick together and it is a pain to get them apart.”

Walmart’s Great Value mild cheddar has received the very same complaint. Another reviewer said, “I actually really like this cheese a lot … BUT there needs to be paper separators between each slice. Obviously, I am not the only one who realizes this, as I am reading the other reviews. I would most likely give this product 5 stars if Walmart would but make this relatively simple change.”

It’s possible that some Walmart distributors are not using interleavers prior to packaging. It’s also possible that Walmart has simply opted not to use interleavers for its sliced cheddar cheeses anymore. 

For now, it’s unclear why the company has opted not to use an interleaver to separate some of its products. 

The Mary Sue has reached out to B via TikTok direct message and Walmart via press form for comment.

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