American cheese

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Name Variations

 * American cheese food
 * American pasteurized process cheese food

About American cheese
Wikipedia Article About American cheese on Wikipedia

American cheese is a processed, mild, Cheddar-style cheese appreciated for its good melting properties.

Processed cheese (or process cheese) is a food product made from regular cheese and other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, and food colorings. Many flavors, colors, and textures of processed cheese exist. In the United States, the most recognizable variety of processed cheese is sold under the name American cheese, although this name also has other meanings.

Processed cheese was invented by the Swiss Walter Gerber of Thun in 1911, but more famously James L. Kraft had his method patent in 1916. Kraft Foods also created the first commercially available sliced process cheese, which was introduced in 1950. This form of sliced cheese with its derivatives were to become ubiquitous in America, most notably used for cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.