New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now assigned a risk category to a previously announced voluntary recall involving more than 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese sold at ALDI, Target, Walmart and other major retailers. The recall was issued after concerns that metal fragments may have entered some of the product lots.

For U.S. shoppers who rely on pre-shredded packs for convenience, the recall has raised a long-standing question: what constitutes a cleaner, healthier cheese?

Cheese remains a staple in U.S. kitchens - sliced, melted, shredded, or straight from the block. Its appeal spans every category: aged, fresh, soft, salty. Global data cited by the World Population Overview notes that the U.S. consumes t...