Shoppers are 'mind blown' after discovering a single letter makes a huge difference between cheese labelled 'feta' and 'fetta'.
Sylvia, a nutrition enthusiast from Sydney, said she began wondering why her Greek salads 'weren't tasting right'.
Upon a closer look at the label, she realised there were different spellings.
'I had no idea that "feta" and "fetta" weren't the same thing,' she said in a video.
Much to her surprise, she discovered that 'feta' is the authentic version made with sheep's milk in Greece, while 'fetta' is a non-traditional variety made from cow's milk in countries such as Australia and Denmark.
'Feta is the real deal. Made in Greece using traditional ingredients and methods,' Sylvia said in her video.
'Fetta can be lower in salt, fat and calories, but with a different taste and texture.'
During her research, Sylvia learnt that 'feta' is a protected name, meaning only cheese produced in Greece using sheep's or goat's milk can be labelled as such.
As feta is imported, the price is higher than Australia's Greek-style varieties.
'The Greek-style ones are made using cow's milk. They're a bit cheaper and they've got a milder taste. They're not bad, just different,' she said.
According to CHOICE, Greek feta was granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Commission in 2002 after a lengthy legal battle with Denmark, Germany and France.
Traditional feta sold in the EU can only be labelled as such if it comes from Greece and is made with at least 70 per cent sheep's milk, with goat's milk often making up the other 30 per cent.
Sylvia's video has been viewed more than 60,000 times, with many saying they never noticed the spelling until now.
'I've been eating feta for 30 years and never noticed,' one shared.
'Whoa thanks for this, I had no idea. I thought they were all made with sheep's milk,' another said.
'Authentic feta comes in a container in liquid brine. If it comes wrapped in plastic it's still not the real deal,' one revealed.
'In Greece, they told us this but I thought nah... but I see now they were right,' another added.
The feta versus fetta debate comes just months after Dr Karl Kruszelnicki pointed out that yoghurts labelled 'Greek' or 'Greek style' are not the same.
The major difference between the two options comes down to their processing methods. Traditional Greek yoghurt is made by straining to remove whey, resulting in a thicker, protein-rich consistency.
Greek-style alternatives, on the other hand, usually contain additives like thickeners (gelatin), gum and milk solids to mimic the thick, creamy texture of Greek yoghurt without going through the lengthy straining process.
He pointed out that Greek-style yoghurts contain emulsifiers - additives used to keep ingredients blended without separating - which could potentially do more harm than good to our health.
In his podcast Shirtloads of Science, Dr Karl asked Professor Clare Collins, an Australian dietitian and Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle, what emulsifiers in Greek-style yoghurts could do to our bodies.
Breaking down the science behind it, she explained how emulsifiers in some processed foods have been found to affect gut bacteria, known as microbiota.
'There's been an assumption that with these food additives, your body doesn't absorb them, so what's the problem?' she told Dr Karl.
'But now there's more recognition that some of these food additives can go through the loops all the way down to the large intestine, get to the very last section of the colon where all the bugs live, and the microbiota can have a field day with them.
'While the emulsifiers are of concern, they can disrupt the bugs, but they can go straight for the gut wall, break down the mucus layer, and potentially create little holes, which is referred to as a leaky gut.'
When the gut wall becomes 'leaky', she said unhealthy bacteria can slip through, potentially leading to symptoms such as allergies, an increased risk of inflammatory bowel conditions or diarrhea.
Professor Clare explained how emulsifiers are like dishwashing liquid. Just like dish soap breaks down grease on a dirty dish, emulsifiers can break down fats and affect the gut wall.
'You have a dirty baking dish. If you squirt that on, what it does is it can really break down all of those fats, and that’s kind of the same effect on your intestinal wall,' she said.
'When the emulsifiers get all the way to the colon, it’s kind of now presented like a dirty dish, so to speak, and can actually attack your colonic wall.'
If you want to avoid emulsifiers, she said the additives may be listed on the label under chemical names - such as 'soy lecithin' or 'polysorbate 80' - or they may appear as numbers, often in the 400 range.
However, Professor Clare urged shoppers not to worry.
'Don't panic,' she said repeatedly.
'Go to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and download the food additives list. I think it's worth it, save it to your phone, so you know what numbers and words you're looking for.'