Velveeta facts for kids
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| Owner | Kraft Heinz |
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| Introduced | 1918 |
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Velveeta is a popular brand of processed cheese. It is very similar to American cheese. A man named Emil Frey created it in 1918. He worked for the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, Velveeta became its own company. Later, in 1927, Kraft Foods Inc. bought the company.
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The Story of Velveeta
In 1888, the Monroe Cheese Co. had new owners. They hired Emil Frey, a cheesemaker. Frey created a cheese blend from broken cheese pieces. He worked on this idea for two years. In 1918, he finally succeeded. He mixed cheese byproducts with broken cheese bits. This new blend became known as Velveeta. The name "Velveeta" was chosen to sound like "velvety smooth." This described the product's texture.
On February 14, 1923, Frey started a separate Velveeta company. It was independent from the Monroe Cheese Co. In 1926, the Monroe Cheese company closed. One year later, Kraft bought Velveeta. Since then, Velveeta has grown into many products. These include cheesy bites and macaroni and cheese.
In the 1930s, Velveeta was the first cheese product to get a special seal. It was approved by the American Medical Association. In 1953, its recipe changed. It was then called a "cheese spread." But since 2002, Velveeta is known as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product" in the United States.
What's in Velveeta?
Velveeta is made with several ingredients. These include milk, water, and whey. It also has milk protein concentrate and milkfat. Other ingredients are whey protein concentrate and sodium phosphate. Small amounts of salt, calcium phosphate, and lactic acid are also in it. It contains sorbic acid, sodium citrate, and sodium alginate. Finally, it has enzymes, apocarotenal, annatto, and cheese culture.
What Kind of Cheese Product Is It?
In 2002, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) sent a letter to Kraft. The letter said Velveeta's packaging was wrong. It called Velveeta a "pasteurized process cheese spread." However, Velveeta contained milk protein concentrate (MPC). This ingredient meant it did not fit the FDA's definitions for cheese. So, Velveeta is now sold as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product." This term is not officially defined by the FDA.
How Velveeta Is Advertised
Kraft Foods promotes Velveeta for different recipes. It is often used for chile con queso (a cheesy dip). It is also popular for grilled cheese sandwiches. You can find Velveeta in the United States, Canada, Panama, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and South Korea. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was sold in the United Kingdom and Germany. There, it was simply called "Velveta."
In the 1980s, Velveeta had a famous jingle. It said, "Colby, Swiss and Cheddar, blended all together." This jingle helped explain its taste and texture. It also reminded people that real cheese was used in the product back then.
See Also
In Spanish: Velveeta para niños
