You probably have half a bag of shredded cheese in your fridge that you’ve been wanting to use up. Why not make some macaroni and cheese, you think to yourself? According to users on the subreddit r/Cooking, you’re just wasting your time. The Redditors asserted that the mac and cheese will be ruined by the pre-shredded stuff. One user asked for advice on making a “banging” mac and cheese for a church event and he received plenty of answers warning him about pre-shredded cheese. “Pre-shredded cheese ruins even the best of recipes.” wrote one person. “Once somebody told me that pre-shredded cheese has a coating of potato starch to stop it from sticking,” said another. “The flavor of potato starch is now the only thing I notice when eating pre-shredded cheese.”
Why the hate for pre-shredded cheese? Bon Appetit explains that pre-shredded cheese will often have preservatives and other additives that make the cheese more difficult to melt and may give the dish an artificial flavor. The best choice is to purchase your own block of cheese and shred it yourself for a fresher taste and texture. By also purchasing your own cheese to shred, you’re free to combine various types of cheese for different textures, such as mozzarella, muenster, Colby, or cheddar.
Source: https://www.mashed.com/919566/the-mac-and-cheese-ingredient-you-need-to-avoid-according-to-reddit/