7 Popular Fast Food Chains That Don’t Use 100% Real Cheese

Cheese is one of the most crave-worthy parts of fast food, but what many people don’t realize is that it’s often not 100% real dairy.

Instead of traditional cheese made simply from milk, cultures, and enzymes, many chains use processed cheese products engineered for perfect melt and long shelf life.

Fast food cheese sauces are even worse, where cheese appears surprisingly far down on the ingredient list. Here are some fast food restaurants where the cheese isn’t quite as real as it seems.

1. Burger King

Burger King’s Swiss cheese is processed rather than traditionally aged, made with water, sodium citrate, anti-caking agents, and mold inhibitors. It’s engineered for meltability and shelf stability.

2. Taco Bell

Taco Bell’s nacho cheese sauce is a processed cheese-style product rather than real melted dairy cheese. It’s formulated with whey, vegetable oil, starches, and flavor enhancers to keep it smooth, pourable, and shelf-stable.

The result is convenient for fast food service, but it pales in comparison to homemade nacho cheese made from real cheese and simple ingredients.

3. Subway

While American cheese is processed to begin with, Kraft Singles at least start with real cheddar as the first ingredient, but Subway’s American cheese begins with water and additives before any dairy ingredients.

Their pepper jack isn’t much better, since it contains added stabilizers and preservatives rather than being true, real cheese.

4. Arby’s

Arby’s cheddar cheese sauce is heavily processed and made primarily from water, oil, and starches with only a small percentage of real cheese.

It’s loaded with emulsifiers, artificial color, and preservatives to keep it shelf-stable and ultra-melty.

5. Sonic

Sonic’s cheese options are heavily processed, with even the cheddar slices made from water, emulsifiers, preservatives, and anti-caking agents instead of pure dairy.

Their zesty cheese sauce is mostly oil, artificial flavors, gums, and preservatives, with only a small amount of real cheddar.

6. Little Caesars

Little Caesars uses a cheddar cheese sauce that isn’t real cheddar sauce, but a processed blend bulked out with water, nonfat dry milk, whey, modified corn starch, and vegetable oils.

While it does contain some actual aged cheddar and Monterey Jack, it’s overshadowed by additives like sodium phosphate, artificial color (FD&C Yellow #6), and “natural flavor.”

7. McDonald’s

McDonald’s American cheese is made with added water, emulsifiers, and preservatives. All American cheese is processed, but fast food versions are typically even more engineered for perfect melting and a longer shelf life.

Any ingredients mentioned came directly from the official ingredient information listed on each restaurant’s website.