Velveeta
Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product that tastes like an American cheese, with a softer and smoother texture than non-processed cheese. When melted, Velveeta keeps a fully integrated and evenly clump-free liquid texture. It was invented in 1918 by Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and sold to Kraft Foods in 1927.
| Velveeta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | Pasteurized Recipe Cheese Product |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Town | Monroe, New York |
| Source of milk | Cow |
| Pasteurized | Yes |
| Texture | Soft and creamy |
| Fat content | 21% |
| Protein content | 18% |
The product was advertised as a nutritious health food.[1] In the 1930s, Velveeta became the first cheese product to gain the American Medical Association's seal of approval.[2] It was reformulated in 1953 as a "cheese spread",[2] but as of 2002 Velveeta must be labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product."[3][4]
The name Velveeta was intended to connote a "velvety smooth" edible product.[5] Smoothness and melting ability are promoted as properties that result from reincorporating the whey with the curd. The brand has been successfully expanded into a line of products including cheesy bites, macaroni and cheese, and cheesy skillets. As with most processed cheeses, the manufacturer recommends Velveeta be refrigerated after opening.
Ingredients
Kraft Foods has listed Velveeta's ingredients as follows: milk, water, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, and 2% or less of salt, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, sorbic acid, sodium citrate, sodium alginate, enzymes, apocarotenal, annatto, and cheese culture.[6]
Classification as a cheese product
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",[7] which the FDA claimed was false because the product listed milk protein concentrate (MPC) in its ingredients. Velveeta is now sold in the US as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product",[8] a term for which the FDA does not maintain a standard of identity, and which therefore may contain milk protein concentrate.
Marketing and advertising
Kraft Foods has marketed Velveeta as an ingredient in chile con queso and grilled cheese sandwiches.[9][10] It is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Panama, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and South Korea. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was sold in the United Kingdom and Germany as "Velveta".[11]
In the 1980s, Velveeta used the advertising jingle, "Colby, Swiss and Cheddar, blended all together" in its US television commercials to explain its taste and texture because real cheese was used in the product at that time.[12]
References
- Wyman, Carolyn Better than Homemade:Amazing Food that Changed the Way We Eat Quirk Books 2004
- Velveeta Brand History, Accessed December 23, 2010.
- "14 Cheesy Facts About Velveeta". April 6, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- Michael H. Tunick (November 27, 2013). The Science of Cheese. Oxford University Press. pp. 161–. ISBN 978-0-19-992231-4.
- Geiling, Natasha. "There is No Shortage of History When it Comes to Velveeta". smithsonianmag.com. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/velveeta-2-pasteurized-prepared-2229.aspx
- WARNING LETTER CHI-6-03, U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Kraft Foods North America, Inc. December 18, 2002. Accessed February 9, 2010.
- "What Is 'Real Kraft Cheese'?", Chicago Business, February 5, 2007. Accessed February 3, 2008.
- "Kraft Foods". Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- "Kraft Foods". Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- "Ciao! price comparison site". Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- "Velveeta Cheese Spread (YouTube)". Retrieved January 6, 2012.