Who Likely Makes Sam's Club Shredded Parmesan Cheese?

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No plate of spaghetti or Caesar salad is complete without a sprinkle of cheese. That may explain why the 24-ounce containers of Member's Mark shredded parmesan at Sam's Club fly off the shelves. If you're familiar with grocery stores' private label game, then you know that there's often a big-name company behind different Member's Mark products. So, who really makes those huge tubs of shredded parmesan? Although it's not confirmed, various signs point to Schuman Cheese. Founded in 1945 by Arthur Schuman, the family-run company is the top importer of hard Italian cheeses in the country.

The Member's Mark shredded parmesan lists itself as a product of Uruguay, and that's the major clue potentially linking it to Schuman. For decades, the company has been working with South American dairy cooperatives, including Uruguay's Conaprole, to import their products. A 2015 Schuman product catalog lists Conaprole's parmesan as one of the cheese giant's offerings, while Cello, a brand owned by Schuman, sells a near-identical shredded parmesan tub that's labeled as a product of Uruguay or Argentina. Thanks to a 2026 job posting for a role as a strategic account representative at Schuman, we also know that Sam's Club is one of the company's customers, as are Costco, Walmart, and BJ's. Since Schuman does indeed have a wholesale and private label manufacturing arm, the idea that it would produce Member's Mark cheese isn't a huge leap.

Although it's produced in Uruguay, the Member's Mark shredded parmesan is crafted "using traditional Italian methods," with cow's milk that's been aged for more than 10 months. The result is a robust and nutty cheese that many reviewers hail as being fresh, easy to melt, and especially great for using in homemade Alfredo sauce. It's racked up more than 3,500 5-star ratings from Sam's Club shoppers, so it seems to deliver on taste and quality. Plus, a 24-ounce jar of the stuff costs just under $11. Compared to the roughly $24 you might find yourself paying for the same amount of Sargento shredded cheese, it's also quite a deal.

While the specific company responsible for this highly rated product is unclear, there's no doubt that Uruguay plays a part in earning that praise. According to Dairy News Today, that nation produces about 100,000 tons of cheese annually. Conaprole, a collective that works with Schuman Cheese (and which may or may not be the supplier behind the Sam's Club favorite), is Uruguay's largest dairy cooperative. It brought in $850 million in revenue in 2024. But, you may be wondering, how did a South American country become a go-to for Italian cheeses? Like many instances of culinary cross-pollination, we have immigration to thank.

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Uruguay saw an influx of Swiss and Italian immigrants — two European cultures that take their cheese very seriously. Their traditions, combined with the area's excellent conditions for dairy cattle farming, formed the foundation of Uruguay's now-booming cheese industry. Turns out, your favorite "Italian" cheese may actually hail from this dairy-rich nation. At the very least, we're sure that the Member's Mark shredded parmesan does.