Velveeta

Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927. Velveeta features a soft, creamy texture and a distinctive taste that advertisers compare to cheddar cheese, and it is noted for its easy melting. Some consumers compare Velveeta's taste to American cheese, Cheez Whiz, and Easy Mac. The product is made, in part, of whey, a by-product of cheese-making. Velveeta is classified by the United States Food and Drug Administration as pasteurized process cheese product (see processed cheese). For a time during the 1980s, Velveeta used the advertising jingle, "Colby, Swiss and Cheddar, blended all together" in its U.S. television commercials [1] to explain its unique taste. Velveeta does need to be refrigerated after opening.

In 2002, the FDA warned Kraft that Velveeta was being sold with packaging that described it as a "pasteurized processed cheese food," which the FDA claimed was false ("cheese food" must contain at least 51% cheese). Velveeta is now sold as a "cheese product," using a term for items that contain less than 51% cheese.

Velveeta is currently sold in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Korea, and Germany (as "Velveta"). It is sold in Australia as "Kraft Cheddar Cheese". At one time it was also sold in the United Kingdom.

In National Lampoon's parody "Doon" Velveeta is referred to as "The Cheese That Cannot Die." This is probably due to the long shelf-life of the product.

External links

• Kraft's Velveeta page
• Kraft Cheddar