Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product that tastes like an American cheese, with a softer and smoother texture than cheese. As a result, when melted, it 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.
The product was advertised as a nutritious health food. 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", but as of 2002 Velveeta must be labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product" because the FDA found no real cheese in the product at that time.
The name "Velveeta" was intended to connote a velvety smooth edible product. Smoothness and melting ability are promoted as properties that result from reincorporating the whey with the curd. The brand has been successfully made into a varied Velveeta-based product line with products like cheesy bites, mac & cheese, and cheesy skillets. As is the case with most processed cheeses, the manufacturer recommends Velveeta be refrigerated after opening.
Video Velveeta
Uses
Velveeta is the base for queso dip or chile con queso, which also contains tomatoes and green chilies.
Other uses for Velveeta include grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese sauce (see Velveeta Shells & Cheese).
Maps Velveeta
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", 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", a term for which the FDA does not maintain a standard of identity, and which therefore may contain milk protein concentrate.
Marketing and advertising
Velveeta is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Panama, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and South Korea. In the 1930s and '40s, it was sold in the United Kingdom and Germany as "Velveta".
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.
See also
- Food industry
- Processed cheese
- Velveeta Shells & Cheese
- Processed food
References
External links
- Kraft's Velveeta page
- Smithsonian.com: There is No Shortage of History When it Comes to Velveeta
Source of article : Wikipedia
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