CHEESE BUDS CHEDDAR EX is a natural cheddar cheese flavor enhancer prepared from cultured and enzyme modified cheese spray dried with whey solids and maltodextrin. It has a twenty four month shelf life when stored at 50 - 80°F and less than 70% relative humidity. CHEESE BUDS CHEDDAR EX is heat stable and does not require refrigeration, making it suitable for food applications. It can be used at 0.1 - 1.0% of total batch weight to enhance cheese flavor and/or reduce cheese solids level in sauces, spreads, soups, snack seasonings, baked and extruded snacks, pasteurized processed products and bakery. CHEESE BUDS CHEDDAR EX provides authentic cheese flavor without the need for dairy ingredients, allowing food manufacturers to formulate products with clean labels.