The best part about this kind of cheese besides taste is that it lasts a long time if wrapped well. Don’t throw away the rinds as they are great to cook with soup. Tomorrow’s soup on the plan is white bean, sausage, and kale.
If something requires more work and costs less, it is time one questions the quality of the product. Once in a while, one lucks out and, it’s just the company is quite capable and efficient. More often than not, it is not that reason
I wish I had that foresight when I moved here. I spend an absurd amount of my food budget on exactly those items. Even now
I don’t buy the pre-shredded stuff, but I suppose one additional reason here might be the longer shelf life due to the lower moisture content and whatever preservatives they put in there besides the anti-caking agents. As in, cheaper shipping even if the “quality” remains the same (though I guess “quality” here also includes the presence of additives like preservatives and anti-caking agents).