Dear Dr. Yanega: I don't know if it is used as a chees whitener, but I know it is used as a medicine for diabetes. Sincerely, Soowon Cho U. C. Berkeley ESPM-Insect Biol. 201 Wellman Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-3112 soowon at nature.berkeley.edu http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~soowon/welcome.html