Velveeta

Velveeta Cheese Product
Other names	KRAFT Cheddar
Country of origin	United States
Region, town	Monroe, New York
Source of milk	Cow
Pasteurised	Yes
Texture	Soft, creamy
Fat content	21%
Protein content	18%

A bacon cheeseburger with melted Velveeta

Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product having a taste that is identified as a type of American cheese with a texture that is softer and smoother. It was 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. According to Kraft's website, in the 1930s, Velveeta became the first cheese product to gain the American Medical Association's seal of approval. It was reformulated in 1953 as a cheese spread. Velveeta is labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product" (see processed cheese). The name 'Velveeta' is intended to connote a velvety smooth edible product. Smoothness and meltability are promoted as its iconic properties that result by reincorporating the whey with the curd. The product was spun off into a line of over a dozen food products based on Velveeta.

Use

One of the most popular uses for Velveeta is as the base in queso dip.^{[citation needed]} The second most popular use for Velveeta is in grilled cheese sandwiches.^{[citation needed]}

Marketing and advertising

Velveeta is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Philippines, and South Korea. At one time it was sold in the United Kingdom and in Germany (as "Velveta"). A similar product is sold in Australia as "KRAFT Cheddar".

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.

Classification

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 US 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.

As is the case with most processed cheeses, the manufacturer recommends Velveeta be refrigerated after opening.

See also

• Food industry
• Processed cheese

External links

• Kraft's Velveeta page
• Kraft Cheddar (Australia).
• Photo News article on cheese heritage of Monroe, NY - Velveeta's birthplace