Processed cheese

Different kinds of processed cheese

Processed cheese is a dairy product. It is made from cheese. Other unfermented dairy products, emulsifiers, salts, food colorings and whey may be added to this.

History

The first processed cheese was made by Walter Gerber in Thun, Switzerland in 1911. Today, this is still sold as Gala. The first processed cheese in Germany was made by Gebrüder Wiedemann, in 1922. This was named Adler (which is German for Eagle). At approximately the same time, Fromageries Bel launched La vache qui rit, which is still available today. In Austria, it was Alma, in 1921.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are a number of advantages of processed cheese over regular cheese. These are:

• Processed cheese has a longer shelf-life
• It is possible to use leftovers from other cheesemaking processes.
• The melting process can be controlled better. Regular cheese often separates into fat, and proteins.
• There are fewer flavors of processed cheese than of unprocessed cheese

One disadvantage to processed cheese is that it is unhealthier than other cheeses if eaten too much.

Processed Cheese Media

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  Cheese spreads, such as this one from the Netherlands, may be considered processed cheese in the broad sense

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  Slices of processed cheese

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  American cheese is a processed cheese. Pictured here in a single wrapped slice.

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  A gift pack containing several varieties of labeled process cheese. Upper left: a "pasteurized process cheese food" and a "pasteurized processed cheese spread" Upper center: a "pasteurized process cheese spread Havarti-type flavor" Lowermost right: a "pasteurized process cheese food with jalapeño peppers"

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  Government cheese from 2023: a large chunk of American pasteurized process cheese and a small chunk of processed Cheddar cheese

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  Easy Cheese, a "pasteurized process cheese snack" (unregulated term), on a pretzel

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  Velveeta, a "pasteurized prepared cheese product" (unregulated term)

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  Cheez Whiz, a "cheese dip" (unregulated term) commonly used for cheesesteaks