You Should Reconsider Your Opinion On Processed Cheese
In the early 20th Century, Canadian-born James Kraft, who was living in Chicago, began experimenting with ways to make cheese last longer and bring it to millions of Americans, which was unheard of back then (via Thrillist). According to Mental Floss, by “shredding refuse cheddar, re-pasteurizing it, and mixing in some sodium phosphate, Kraft produced the strange wonder we now know as American process cheese.” It was an instant success, and in addition to becoming something found in nearly all American households, Kraft was able to supply 6 million pounds of this uniquely processed cheese to soldiers in WWI (via Business Insider). Decades later, it would also help support the allied troops in the second World War.
Many people arrogantly claim that processed cheese is not real cheese, which is not entirely true. As Bon Appétit tells us, processed cheese is actually about 50% real cheese mixed with some other ingredients like salt, dyes, preservatives, and emulsifiers, among others. These other ingredients allow it to be an extremely consistent product with a long shelf life; in fact, some processed cheeses don’t even require refrigeration.
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