Tastes like 'Merica

Processed cheese is a food product made from cheese and includes emulsifiers, saturated vegetable oils, extra salt, food colorings, whey or sugar. As a result, many flavors, colors, and textures of processed cheese exist. Its invention is credited to Walter Gerber of Thun, Switzerland, in 1911.  Better living thru chemicals has been around for awhile.

It’s officially known as pasteurized process cheese food because it does not meet the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of cheese.  To do that it would have to be at least 51 percent real cheese.  Don’t take my word for it - Cornell Law maintains the legal definition here.  Even though this food item continues to be found in 40% of American households - as our palates have evolved - it would appear that it is falling out of favor.

As evidence of this the ginormous food conglomerate Kraft Heinz recently took a $15.4 billion write-down in two of its most powerful brands – Oscar Meyer and Kraft – signaling that even the most iconic American names are vulnerable to shifts in consumer tastes.   Kraft Heinz cut its dividend by 36% following fourth quarter losses of $12.6 billion.  This, following a profit of $8 billion only a year ago. 

Back when America used to be great - when I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s - one of my favorite lunches was a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich of American cheese between 2 slices of Wonder Bread.  Yum!  Kraft American cheese slices were instrumental to a proper grilled cheese, topping a burger or assembling a tuna melt.  But hey, we drove automobiles without seat belts, bicycled without a helmet, threw giant darts in the backyard, and ate frosted flakes for breakfast.  Maybe we can Make America Great Again by promoting fake food again? 

You can count upon continuing to find pasteurized process cheese food slices in our household as an indispensable addition to the household diet.  This repeat French traveler appreciates both artisanal cheeses and better living thru chemicals.  It's all about balance.

Some things change out of necessity, and some things need not change at all.  Say it ain't so but what next?  Spam? 

Learn more about what's going on here.