Velveeta History:
Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927. The product was advertised for its nutrition. Velveeta is labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product"
Kraft reformulates Velveeta, first marketed in 1928, into a cheese spread, in 1953.
Velveeta is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Philippines, and South Korea. At one time it was also sold in the United Kingdom and in Germany as "Velveta". A similar product is sold in Australia as "KRAFT Cheddar".
For a time during the 1980s, Velveeta used the advertising jingle, "Colby, Swiss and Cheddar, blended all together" in its U.S. television commercials to explain its unique taste.
In 2002, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Kraft that Velveeta was being sold with packaging that described it as a "Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread," which the FDA claimed was misbranded because the product declared milk protein concentrate (MPC) in its ingredients listing. Velveeta is now sold in the U.S. as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product," a term for which the FDA does not maintain a standard of identity, and which therefore may contain MPC.
What IS that stuff, anyway?
Velveeta is classified as a "Pasteurized processed cheese food." It actually has to label itself as "food" to clarify its status! Also sometimes known as "cheese food product." Huh? What's the difference between cheese food and cheese food product?
Are you sure you really want to know?
Kraft likes to call it a "fun, family-friendly" cheese food.
I'll tell you one thing; Kraft Foods sure won't tell you the exact process. Proprietary, they say. Maybe they know the recipe for Velveeta is just too scary to release to the general public. Of course, there is plenty of speculation.
Here is the ingredient list on the package: MILK, WATER, MILKFAT, WHEY, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ALGINATE, SODIUM CITRATE, APOCAROTENAL (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE
Here's the official story: Pasteurized process cheese contains one or more cheeses, such as cheddar, with added cream or anhydrous milkfat. The mixture is heated with an emulsifier-such as sodium or potassium phosphate, and other ingredients, like color and flavoring. It is then poured into molds to congeal (that's a creepy word, isn't it).
PASTEURIZES PROCESS CHEESE FOOD: is a variation of process cheese that may have dry milk, whey solids, or anhydrous milkfat added, which reduces the amount of cheese in the finished product. It must contain at least 51% of the cheese ingredient by weight, have a moisture content less than 44%, and have at least 23% milkfat.
PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE SPREAD: is a variation on cheese food that may contain a sweetener and a stabilizing agent, such as the polysaccharide xanthan gum or the Irish moss colloid carrageenan, to prevent separation of the ingredients. The cheese must be spreadable at 70 F, contain 44 to 60% moisture, and have at least 20% milkfat.
Kraft likes to call it a "fun, family-friendly" cheese food.
Kraft Foods sure won't tell you the exact process. Proprietary, they say. Maybe they know the recipe for Velveeta is just too scary to release to the general public. Of course, there is plenty of speculation.
(I obtained the analysis of Velveeta @:
http://www.squidoo.com/velveetainfo)
Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927. The product was advertised for its nutrition. Velveeta is labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product"
Kraft reformulates Velveeta, first marketed in 1928, into a cheese spread, in 1953.
Velveeta is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Philippines, and South Korea. At one time it was also sold in the United Kingdom and in Germany as "Velveta". A similar product is sold in Australia as "KRAFT Cheddar".
For a time during the 1980s, Velveeta used the advertising jingle, "Colby, Swiss and Cheddar, blended all together" in its U.S. television commercials to explain its unique taste.
In 2002, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Kraft that Velveeta was being sold with packaging that described it as a "Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread," which the FDA claimed was misbranded because the product declared milk protein concentrate (MPC) in its ingredients listing. Velveeta is now sold in the U.S. as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product," a term for which the FDA does not maintain a standard of identity, and which therefore may contain MPC.
What IS that stuff, anyway?
Velveeta is classified as a "Pasteurized processed cheese food." It actually has to label itself as "food" to clarify its status! Also sometimes known as "cheese food product." Huh? What's the difference between cheese food and cheese food product?
Are you sure you really want to know?
Kraft likes to call it a "fun, family-friendly" cheese food.
I'll tell you one thing; Kraft Foods sure won't tell you the exact process. Proprietary, they say. Maybe they know the recipe for Velveeta is just too scary to release to the general public. Of course, there is plenty of speculation.
Here is the ingredient list on the package: MILK, WATER, MILKFAT, WHEY, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ALGINATE, SODIUM CITRATE, APOCAROTENAL (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE
Here's the official story: Pasteurized process cheese contains one or more cheeses, such as cheddar, with added cream or anhydrous milkfat. The mixture is heated with an emulsifier-such as sodium or potassium phosphate, and other ingredients, like color and flavoring. It is then poured into molds to congeal (that's a creepy word, isn't it).
PASTEURIZES PROCESS CHEESE FOOD: is a variation of process cheese that may have dry milk, whey solids, or anhydrous milkfat added, which reduces the amount of cheese in the finished product. It must contain at least 51% of the cheese ingredient by weight, have a moisture content less than 44%, and have at least 23% milkfat.
PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE SPREAD: is a variation on cheese food that may contain a sweetener and a stabilizing agent, such as the polysaccharide xanthan gum or the Irish moss colloid carrageenan, to prevent separation of the ingredients. The cheese must be spreadable at 70 F, contain 44 to 60% moisture, and have at least 20% milkfat.
Kraft likes to call it a "fun, family-friendly" cheese food.
Kraft Foods sure won't tell you the exact process. Proprietary, they say. Maybe they know the recipe for Velveeta is just too scary to release to the general public. Of course, there is plenty of speculation.
(I obtained the analysis of Velveeta @:
http://www.squidoo.com/velveetainfo)