American cheese

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This article is about the specific type of cheese. For cheeses of the United States generally, see List of American cheeses. For the album, see American Cheese (album).
American cheese
An individually wrapped slice of American cheese (not necessarily labeled as such, see § Regulation), also known as a single
Country of originUnited States
Source of milkCows' milk
Pasteurisedyes

American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating.[1][2] It is mild with a creamy and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point. It is typically yellow or white in color; yellow American cheese is seasoned and colored with annatto.

Processed American cheese was invented in the 1910s by James L. Kraft, the founder of Kraft Foods Inc., who obtained a patent for his manufacturing process in 1916.

History[edit]

1948 advertisement for Kraft American Pasteurized Process Cheese, which came in a 2-pound (0.91 kg) block.

British colonists made cheddar cheese soon after their arrival in North America. By 1790, American-made cheddars were being exported back to England. According to Robert Carlton Brown, author of The Complete Book of Cheese, what was known in America as yellow cheese or store cheese was known as American cheddar or Yankee cheddar back in England.[3] The Oxford English Dictionary lists the first known usage of "American cheese" as occurring in the Frankfort, Kentucky, newspaper The Guardian of Freedom in 1804.[4]

After patenting a new method for manufacturing processed cheese in 1916,[5][6][7] James L. Kraft began marketing it in the late 1910s, and the term "American cheese" rapidly began to refer to the processed variety instead of the traditional but more expensive cheddars also made and sold in the U.S.

Production[edit]

Traditional cheese is ground, combined with emulsifying agents and other ingredients, mixed and heated until it forms a melted homogeneous mixture.[8] Sodium citrate is an important additive at this time, as it prevents the cheese fats from separating.[2] The cheese mixture is then heated to a temperature of at least 150 °F (66 °C) for a minimum of 30 seconds during pasteurization.[8]

Composition requirements of processed American cheese control the percentage of milkfat, moisture, salt and pH value in the final product, along with specifications for flavor, body and texture, color, and meltability.[9]

Processed American cheese is packaged in individually wrapped slices, as unwrapped slices sold in stacks, or in unsliced blocks.[10] Individually wrapped slices, sold as 'singles', are typically the least like traditional cheese. Blocks of American cheese are more similar to traditional cheese, and are sliced to order at deli counters.[11]

Uses[edit]

A cheeseburger is often topped with American cheese, a popular choice in North America and elsewhere

American cheese is a common choice for sandwiches due to its versatile nature, pairing with a variety of meats and other ingredients. American cheese is also recognized for its smooth and meltable texture, which is what makes it a reliable cooking ingredient for many dishes.

American cheese is famously known for being used in the typical American cheeseburger, contributing both flavor and acting as an adhesive layer to maintain the form of the burger.

The Philly cheesesteak was originally developed in Philadelphia by Pat and Harry Olivieri by combining thinly sliced beef, onions, and cheese on a long roll. The cheese used originally was provolone, but white American cheese slices are a common ingredient in a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich; as of 2018, the Philadelphia/South Jersey market was responsible for 50% of Kraft Foods' white American cheese sales.[12]

In a standard grilled cheese sandwich, American cheese is most commonly used due to its easy meltability.[13] Since Kraft's American cheese was used for "filled cheese sandwiches" during World War II, American cheese has been known to have the best consistency for such a sandwich.[14]

In breakfast foods, American cheese is commonly used when making meals such as omelets, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sandwiches that involve eggs, bacon, and bread.[15]

American cheese is also common in macaroni and cheese.[16]

Regulation[edit]

According to the Standards of Identity for Dairy Products, part of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), to be labeled "American cheese" a processed cheese is required to be manufactured from cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, washed curd cheese, or granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of these.[17] The CFR also includes regulations for the manufacturing of processed American cheese.[18][19]

Because its manufacturing process differs from traditional cheeses,[20] federal laws mandate that it be labeled as "pasteurized process American cheese" if made from more than one cheese. A "pasteurized process American cheese" must be entirely cheese with the exception of an emulsifying agent, salt, coloring, acidifying agents, and optional dairy fat sources (but at no more than 5% of the total weight).[8] A "pasteurized process American cheese food" label is used if it is at least 51% cheese but other specific dairy ingredients such as cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cheese whey, or albumin from cheese whey are added.[21] Products with other added ingredients, such as Kraft Singles that contain milk protein concentrate, use legally unregulated terms such as "pasteurized prepared cheese product".[22]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "What Is American Cheese, Anyway?". Serious Eats.
  2. ^ a b "American Cheese Isn't Cheese" – via www.youtube.com.
  3. ^ "The English called our imitation Yankee, or American, Cheddar, while here at home it was popularly known as yellow or store cheese". Robert Carlton Brown, The Complete Book of Cheese (New York: Programmer Publishing Company, 1955). Republished in 2006: "Bob" Brown, The Complete Book of Cheese (Echo Library, 2006).
  4. ^ Edmund Whiner; John Simpson, eds. (1991). "The Compact Oxford English Dictionary: Complete Text Reproduced Micrographically". Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. I (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 397. ISBN 0-19-861258-3.
  5. ^ "Emmi Gerber – Über Gerber". Emmi Fondue AG. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  6. ^ "Kraft Foods Corporate Timeline" (PDF). Kraft Foods Group, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "Patent Images". July 16, 2020. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "CFR- Code of Federal Regulations Title 21: Sec. 133.169 Pasteurized Process Cheese". Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  9. ^ "USDA commodity requirements document: DPPC3 Pastuerized process American cheese for use in domestic programs" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  10. ^ Tamine, A. Y. (2011). Processed cheese and analogues (Vol. 16). John Wiley & Sons. p. 14. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2008.00040.x. S2CID 85756594.
  11. ^ Semigran, Rachel (April 12, 2016). "What Exactly is American Cheese?". Mental Floss. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  12. ^ Fiorillo, Victor (September 23, 2018). "The Cheesesteak: An Oral History". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Russo, Susan (May 13, 2009). "Grilled Cheese Gets an Update". NPR.
  14. ^ "Choose Cheese, 1940". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  15. ^ Marshall, Cassie (July 2, 2023). "Ultimate Guide to an American Breakfast". The Kitchen Community. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  16. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian. "A Brief History of America's Appetite for Macaroni and Cheese". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  17. ^ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (April 1, 1999), Title 21, Subchapter B, Part 133, U.S. Government Printing Office, Paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of section 133.169, archived from the original on February 17, 2007, retrieved February 17, 2007
  18. ^ Carić, M.; Kaláb, M. (1999). "Processed Cheese Products". In Fox, P.F. (ed.). Cheese: Chemistry, Physics and Microbiology. Boston, MA: Springer. p. 467–505. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-2800-5_15. ISBN 9781461526483.
  19. ^ Kapoor, Rohit; Metzger, Lloyd E. (March 2008). "Process Cheese: Scientific and Technological Aspects—A Review". Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 7 (2): 194–214. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2008.00040.x. S2CID 85756594.
  20. ^ "Standards of Identity for Dairy Products". MilkFacts.info. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  21. ^ "CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21: Sec. 133.173 Pasteurized process cheese food". U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  22. ^ Strom, Stephanie (March 12, 2015). "A Cheese 'Product' Gain Kids' Nutrition Seal". Well. The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2021.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to American cheese.

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