Say Cheese: New Jersey’s Favorite Cheese

Cheese lovers rejoice! January 20 marks National Cheese Lovers Day. Ahead of the cheesy celebration, OnlineCasinos.com conducted a nationwide survey of over 2,000 people to find out what each state’s favorite cheese is.

Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, the showstopper of pizza, and the reason mac ‘n’ cheese can cheese. But which cheese is adored the most by New Jersey? According to the survey, cheddar cheese is our state's favorite. From grilled cheese sandwiches to cheese boards, cheddar is the ultimate favorite for several states with states like Mississippi, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Tennessee.

The number one choice for 20 states is cheddar cheese. Meanwhile, only eight states opted for a spicier option of pepper jack as a favorite. Interestingly, there is a tie between mozzarella and Colby/ Monterey Jack, agreed upon by four states.

States such as Colorado, Maine, Maryland, and Ohio didn’t go with the crowd favorite. However, their favorite cheese include gouda, cottage, brie, and Swiss.

When it comes to the state that’s all about cheese, Vermont, the study revealed that 30.3% of those surveyed eat cheese every single day. Following behind is Oklahoma with 27.8% admitting that they consume cheese every single day. On the other hand, Arkansas had the highest response for "rarely" eating cheese.

Healthline reported that cheese is a healthy and delicious source of many nutrients. They do note that there are a few exceptions. According to the report, cheese is a great source of calcium, fat, and protein. It also contains high amounts of vitamins A and B12, along with zinc, phosphorus, and riboflavin.

While cheese has some health benefits, it comes with potential risks. Healthline continued to report that cheese can be high in calories, saturated fat, and salt, and low in fiber. They also point out that some people may limit or avoid cheese due to these factors.

Take a look at other state’s cheese favorites with the complete study here.

A new Consumer Reports study has ranked the riskiest foods. They analyzed data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022. Their researchers focused on "widely consumed foods" that had recalls over a specific duration of time.

According to Consumers Reports, the CDC estimates that 48 million people each year fall ill from salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food. They said most recover on their own after a few days. But about 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses yearly.

Some of the foods that are ranked at the top of the list include bagged salads, poultry products, and deli meats. The top five are leafy greens, deli cheese and meat, ground beef, onions, and poultry. Bagged salads and other leafy greens ranked number one on the list. They found 50 different recalls linked to them since 2017. Also, it has the most caused deaths. Last on the list at number ten is flour. Unlike leafy greens, flour has had zero total deaths.

"We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely," says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. "After all, these foods are all usually safe, and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet." Ronholm continued to say in Consumers Report that the list underscores the "importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls when they happen." Read the entire list, and learn how you can reduce your risk at Consumer Reports.