Over the bank holiday weekend, millions of burgers were consumed, often topped with a slice of 'burger cheese'. Available in every supermarket, it remains a popular choice. However, food scientist Professor Tim Spector has issued a stark warning about this product.
The 5-Year-Old Cheese Experiment
Professor Tim Spector, a British epidemiologist and Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, took to Instagram to share a disturbing discovery. He showcased a slice of cheese that had been stored in his cupboard for five years. "This craft cheese slice is over 5 years old," he said. "If I had any normal cheese, it wouldn't look like this. It would be full of microbes and degraded completely. Yet, this one remains pretty much intact, still bright and shiny."
Spector explained that the slice is not real cheese but an analogue, ultra-processed product. "Real cheese is made from milk and fermenting microbes, which is both delicious and good for gut health. This is fake cheese. You should avoid it and only eat the real stuff."
Why Microbes Avoid It
Spector posed a critical question: if microbes, moulds, and bacteria show no interest in eating this cheese, why should humans? "There's something disturbing about a slice of 'cheese' that looks almost identical after 5 years in a cupboard."
He elaborated that normal cheese undergoes fermentation, where microbes transform milk into a nutritionally and chemically different product. "In aged cheeses, bacteria and fungi continue breaking down proteins and fats for months or years, creating flavour and bioactive compounds. That's what food normally does. Ultra-processed cheese slices are engineered for hyper-stability, using emulsifiers, refined oils, starches, flavourings, and preservatives. They are far removed from traditional cheese."
Spector concluded that our gut microbes evolved alongside real food, not fluorescent orange squares that survive half a decade untouched in a cupboard. Kraft has been contacted for comment.
