Processed cheese
Encyclopedia : P : PR : PRO : Processed cheese
- "American cheese" redirects here. (Refer to American cheese subheading below.) For other cheeses of the United States, see List of American cheeses.
Processed cheese (or process cheese) is a food product made from regular cheese and other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, and food colorings. Many flavors, colors, and textures of processed cheese exist. In the United States, the most recognizable variety of processed cheese is sold under the name American cheese, although this name also has other meanings. The name American cheese also has a legal definition as a type of pasteurized process cheese under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (Food and Drugs), Article 133, Section 169 (Pasteurized process cheese), the allowed usage of the term "American Cheese" for certain types of "Pasteurized process cheese" is detailed. Specifically, in paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of section 133.169, it states In case it is made of cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, or granular cheese or any mixture of two or more of these, it may be designated "Pasteurized process American cheese"; or when cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of these is combined with other varieties of cheese in the cheese ingredient, any of such cheeses or such mixture may be designated as "American cheese". [The various sections of Title 21, Article 133] can be viewed online in several formats. .
Processed cheese was invented by the Swiss Walter Gerber of Thun in 1911, but more famously James L. Kraft had his method patented in 1916 James L. Kraft applied for a patent in 1916 and patent #1,186,524 was issued to him later that same year. [Patent reference at Kraft Foods] . Kraft Foods also created the first commercially available sliced process cheese, which was introduced in 1950. This form of sliced cheese with its derivatives were to become ubiquitous in America, most notably used for cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Advantages
Processed cheese has three technical advantages over unprocessed cheese: extended shelf-life; resistance to separation when cooked; and the ability to reuse scraps, trimmings and runoff from other cheesemaking processes.Traditional cheesemaking inevitably produces 'scrap' pieces that would not be acceptable for supermarket display; production of processed cheese from cheese scrap allows the cheesemaker to add value to otherwise unmarketable scrap. Processing can turn these scraps into new presentable shapes for repackaging and sale.
The use of emulsifiers in processed cheese results in cheese that melts smoothly when cooked. With prolonged heating unprocessed cheese will separate into a molten protein gel and liquid fat; processed cheese will not separate in this manner. The emulsifiers (typically sodium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, tartrate, or citrate), reduce the tendency for tiny fat globules in the cheese to coalesce and pool on the surface of the molten cheese.
Because processed cheese does not separate when melted, it is used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. It is a fairly popular condiment on hamburgers, as it does not run off, nor does it change in texture or taste as it is heated.
Disadvantages
Processed cheese is often criticized for its small range of flavors, which is far narrower than the range for unprocessed cheeses and normally at the mild end of the flavor range. Processed cheese also normally lacks the range of textures available in unprocessed cheeses; processed cheeses are normally very smooth and medium-firm.The list of artificial additives in processed cheeses and the higher levels of salt is another subject of criticism.
Sale and labeling
Processed cheese is sometimes sold in blocks, but more often sold packed in individual slices, with plastic wrappers or wax paper separating them.Due to the processing and additives, some varieties cannot legally be labeled as "cheese" in many countries, including the United States and Britain, and so are sold as "cheese food", "cheese spread", or "cheese product", depending primarily on the amount of cheese, moisture, and milkfat present in the final product.
In the United States processed cheese is defined, categorized, and regulated by the Food & Drug Administration under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (Food and Drugs), Section 133 (Cheeses and Cheese Related Products) Refer to [U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (Food and Drugs) Article 133 (Cheeses and Cheese Related Products)] at the U.S. Government Printing Office. . Pasteurized process cheese can be made from a single cheese or a blend of several cheeses. Cream, milkfat, water, salt, artificial color, and spices may also be added. The mixture is heated with an emulsifier, poured into a mold, and then allowed to cool. The definitions include
- Pasteurized process cheese food
- Pasteurized process cheese spread (e.g. Velveeta)
- Pasteurized process cheese product (e.g. Kraft Singles)
American cheese
The best known processed cheese in the United States is marketed as American cheese by Kraft Foods, Borden, and other companies. It is orange, yellow, or white in color and mild in flavor, with a medium-firm consistency, and melts easily. It is typically made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby and Cheddar.
The common use of the marketing label "American Cheese" for "processed cheese" combined with the prevalence of processed cheese in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world has led to the term American cheese being used synonymously in place of processed cheese. Moreover, the term "American cheese" has a legal definition as a type of pasteurized process cheese under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations .
The process variety of American Cheese can be sold in individually wrapped slices For example Kraft sells individually wrapped "American Pastuerized Prepared Cheese Product" under the trade name "Kraft Singles" in both [Orange] and [White] colorings, but are otherwise identical. or in large blocks For example, Land O' Lakes sells several varieties of what they call ["slicing cheese"] in orange, yellow, and white varieties. The orange variety is labelled "Pastuerize Process American Cheese"; the yellow variety is labelled "Yellow American"; the white variety is labelled "White American". that can be sliced to order at a deli counter. It can range in color from white to orange. The taste and texture of American Cheese varies greatly, and mostly depends on the percentage of cheese versus additives used during the emulsification process. Varieties with lower percentages of additives tend to taste more like natural unprocessed cheese, whereas varieties with large percentages of additives tend to taste "artificial" to many people. In addition, depending on the food manufacturer, the color of the cheese (orange, yellow, or white) may signify different ingredients or process. Some manufacturers reserve the white and yellow colors for their more natural (i.e. less additives) American Cheese varieties.
Many people mistakenly believe that American Cheese in block form at a Deli is not process cheese, but the reality is that the vast majority of block American Cheese is a type of process cheese . This is not to say that all products with the label "American Cheese" are identical. Depending on the additives and the amounts of milk fat and water added to the cheese during emulsification, the taste and texture of American Cheese can vary greatly, with some varieties (e.g. "American Cheese" and "American Process Cheese") being very similar to non-process cheese and other varieties (e.g. "American Cheese Food" and "American Cheese Product") being more like Velveeta or Cheez Whiz. The interested consumer should pay close attention to the wording used on the label of each product and to the ingredient list. (Refer to the definitions in the Sale and labeling section of this article.)
Prior to the 1990's, small (e.g. 16 to 36 slice) blocks of presliced, but not individually-wrapped, American Cheese could be purchased at any supermarket. This variety of American Cheese was similar in ingredients and texture to that of modern block American Cheese. This "old fashioned" type of American Cheese along with block American Cheese are both (technically speaking) processed cheeses, but are considered by many Americans to be the "real" American cheese, to which the individually-wrapped processed "cheese food" and "cheese product" so common today are just pretenders.
Despite the common usage, American Cheese also has another definition. It can also refer to a mild, pale white to yellow cheddar.
The term store cheese Refer to definition of [Store Cheese] at Word Web Online is sometimes informally used to describe American Cheese and similar American cheddars.
Brands
Notes
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.