SE #4 Shiffrin American Cheese

Taylor Shiffrin

Writ 1133

Short Essay 4

American Cheese

American Cheese. I came to think of this food while eating my morning omelet that uses three eggs some tomatoes and American Cheese. Two words smashed together to create a product of fromage that adds to the identity of America. As Switzerland has Swiss cheese, America now has American cheese; and what better a type of cheese to represent America than one invented and produced by Americans. One the can most accurately be labeled as fake, manufactured, processed, plastic, fattening and unhealthy. This sounds oddly reminiscent of the adjectives applied to America by foreigners when the topic arises. Many Americans will be quick to the trigger with a retaliation shot. However that fact of the matter is that America, in reality, could not have a more fitting description. Yes, America can boast many other admirable qualities as can American cheese. Yet for the most part, both America and is proclaimed cheese, have some ground to make up if they are to reach a level of credibility that they were viewed with in the past. Therefore I will go into the history of American cheese and track down the production processes used as well as the ingredients that make up todays American cheese and American cheese from the past.

            Jump back to the turn of the 19^th century and the founding of the 13 colonies. The pilgrims brought the traditional cheeses of Europe, such as Cheddar and Colby, across the Atlantic. As time passed the colonies began to cultivate their own versions of the same cheeses, especially cheddar. The British and the colonies referred to this newly developed cheese as American Cheddar. Another popular name used was “Yankee cheddar.” (Clark) Thus was born the legacy of American cheese. As was already mentioned the earliest American cheese was in fact just a variation of the traditional European cheeses. Production of cheese moved into the mixture of both Cheddar and Colby, which became the first truly distinguished and identifiable American cheese. Then in the early 1900’s J.L. Kraft industrializes the processed cheese we know as American cheese today.

Actually by definition the correct term for this cheese developed by J.L. Kraft is processed cheese and not the popularized American cheese. As stated by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations “In case it is made of cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, or granular cheese or any mixture of two or more of these, it may be designated "Pasteurized processed American cheese"; or when cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, colby cheese, granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of these is combined with other varieties of cheese in the cheese ingredient, any of such cheeses or such mixture may be designated as "American cheese."” Further more it is now illegal to market or sell American cheese with the term cheese in the label or title of the product. Have you noticed that in the grocery store American cheese is label as “Kraft Singles” or some variation of this name? If you look closely at a packet of American cheese you will see that nowhere on the packet is there the term cheese standing alone. The only place where you see the word cheese is under the ingredients section and that is “Cheese Culture” not actual cheese.

            After I had gone through all of this research and read through the facts I became a little uneasy about eating American cheese and questioned the quality of health in eating it. Then I returned my gaze towards the ingredients and nutritional facts found in American cheese. I first looked at the package of cheese that is in my refrigerator for convenience but then I browsed through Kraft’s website and found this ingredient list for Kraft Singles. Ingredients: MILK, WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, SODIUM CITRATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, CHEESE CULTURE, ANNATTO AND PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), ENZYMES, VITAMIN D3. CONTAINS: MILK.     

My eating habits are very health conscious while maintaining a level of taste that I enjoy. However even if I enjoy the taste of something I will often not consume it if it does not benefit or is a detriment to my health or contribute to my performance in anything. In reading the nutritional facts and ingredients used in the production of American cheese, I was relived and my desire for the food was revived. It allowed me to see that American cheese is not as unhealthy and fake as most people would believe. Yes there are some preservatives in American cheese and it is somewhat skeptical when a food product is processed on a metal conveyor belt in some factory rather than a dairy farm. However after fitting together all of the pieces of the puzzle I find myself still inclined to use American cheese in my daily morning omelets. American cheese may not be the healthiest cheese available but it certainly isn’t a health risk factor. Especially when you combine it with other healthy foods such as eggs, tomatoes, milk, orange juice, and a bowl of fruit. That sounds like a pretty healthy and tasty meal to me. Hence the reason I make that meal every morning to start off my day.

Works Cited:

-Clark, D.. N.p.. Web. 7 May 2013. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/20537/brief-history-american-cheese-colonial-cheddar-kraft-singles>.

-Kraft Foods, . N.p.. Web. 6 May 2013. <http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.aspx?SiteId=1&Product=2100060473>.

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Cheese#cite_note-definition-4

-U.S. Food and Drug Administration (April 1, 1999). "Title 21, Article 133". U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2007-02-17.