Government cheese facts for kids
Government cheese was a special kind of processed cheese given out in the United States. It was provided to people who received welfare or Food Stamps. Older adults getting Social Security also received it. It was also sent to food banks to help those in need. This type of cheese was even used in military kitchens during World War II. Schools also used it for student meals starting in the 1950s.
Government cheese was a "commodity cheese." This means the US government managed it from World War II until the early 1980s. It was made because the government wanted to keep milk prices steady. They did this by supporting dairy farmers, which led to a lot of extra milk. This extra milk was then turned into cheese, butter, or powdered milk. This cheese, along with butter and powdered milk, was stored in many warehouses across the country.
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Why Government Cheese Was Created
The government bought and stored this cheese through a group called the Commodity Credit Corporation. They started giving out dairy products directly in 1982. This was part of a program called the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. The government said this cheese "slices and melts well." People would get blocks of this cheese every month. It came in simple packaging with no special brand name.
Helping People with Food Surpluses
This cheese often came from extra food the government had stored. These stores were part of programs to support milk prices. Butter was also stored and given out through the same program. Some government cheese was even made to be kosher. This cheese was also given to people after a natural disaster was declared a state of emergency.
In the 1980s, government cheese became a big topic in the news. People learned that lots of milk products were stored while many Americans didn't have enough food. At the same time, President Ronald Reagan's government cut money for the federal food stamp program.
On December 22, 1981, President Reagan signed a law. This law allowed five hundred and sixty million pounds (250,000 metric tons) of the stored cheese to be given away. He said it would be "distributed free to the needy by nonprofit organizations." Reagan explained that even with new farm laws, there would still be extra food. He wanted to use these resources well and avoid waste.
How the Cheese Was Distributed
The law said that any state asking for the cheese would get 30 million pounds (14,000 metric tons) of it. It came in 5-pound (2.3 kg) blocks. The idea was to stop waste and use all available resources. One person from the United States Department of Agriculture even joked that it might be cheapest to "dump it in the ocean."
How Government Cheese Was Given Out
Giving out government cheese was not supposed to hurt regular cheese sales. This was because the government had to buy dairy products anyway to help dairy companies. The government could then sell or give the cheese to other countries. When Ronald Reagan signed the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, there was enough cheese stored for more than 2 lb (1 kg) for every person in the United States. Sometimes, the first batches of government cheese given out were moldy.
People who got the cheese did not lose any of their food stamps. They also did not have to trade their food stamps for the cheese. California was the first state to receive the cheese. Its first delivery was three million pounds (1,400 t) of cheese. Government cheese was given for free to people on welfare, food stamps, and Social Security. The cheese was orange in color. It was given to families with lower incomes through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. Government cheese was mostly stopped in the 1990s when the dairy market became more stable.
What Was in Government Cheese
Government cheese was like regular processed American cheese. It was made from different types of cheese and other ingredients. These included things like emulsifiers, which help mix everything together smoothly. It could be made from Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, cheese curd, or granular cheese.
Nutritional Information
Government cheese has become a symbol of American industry. However, people have wondered about its nutritional value. Some have said that people in poverty, who received this cheese, might be more likely to become obese. Between 1988 and 1994, about 29.2 percent of people below the poverty line were obese. The Food Security Act of 1985 tried to reduce milk production. But some called it a "mix of confused political compromises."
The nutrition facts for government cheese suggested a serving size of 1 ounce (28 g), or two slices. It also noted that this information was for the average "Processed American cheese" given out by the program. Each serving had 9 g of total fat, with 6 g of that being saturated fat. It also had 30 mg of cholesterol and 380 mg of sodium per serving.
Government Cheese Today
On August 23, 2016, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a plan. They would buy about eleven million pounds (5,000 t) of cheese, worth $20 million. This cheese would go to food banks and food pantries across the United States. This was done to reduce a $1.2 billion cheese surplus, which was the largest in thirty years. It also helped to keep farm prices stable. This purchase also brought more money to dairy farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this purchase was part of a plan to help farmers and people in need. He said it would reduce the cheese surplus and provide high-protein food to those who needed it most. The USDA continues to look for ways to help with food insecurity and keep the market stable.
Today, as part of the USDA Food Nutrition Service Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), eligible seniors over age 60 can receive one 32-ounce (910 g) block of processed cheese food each month. This cheese is supplied by different dairies.
