The Ultimate Guide To Government Cheese Shelf Life

Government cheese is a staple of the 20th-century American diet. It was distributed to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving social security. The cheese was provided monthly in unsliced blocks and had a long shelf life. But how long exactly does government cheese last?

Government cheese is distributed to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security

The Reagan administration decided to distribute free cheese to America's poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program delivered goods from the federal government to each state, where they were sent to various warehouses and community centres for free pick-up. The cheese was also reserved for victims of natural disasters.

Government cheese was provided to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security at no cost to them. It was distributed in monthly, 32-ounce blocks, with generic product labelling and packaging. The cheese was nominally removed in the 1990s when the dairy market stabilised.

As a processed cheese, government cheese has a longer shelf life than other varieties. It is also known for its distinct orange colour and pungent smell. However, it was often delivered mouldy due to storage difficulties. While some people enjoyed the taste of government cheese, others hated how it advertised their socioeconomic status.

The cheese is stored in over 150 warehouses across 35 states

The distribution of government cheese was a complex logistical operation, with the cheese stored in over 150 warehouses spread across 35 states. The cheese was delivered from the federal government to each state, where it was then sent to various warehouses and community centres for free pick-up.

The cheese was stored in vast quantities, with 300 million pounds of cheese distributed in the early 1980s. The scale of the operation is further illustrated by the fact that the cheese was stored in 40-foot semi-tractor trailers, with 20 pallets of cheese in each truckload. The cheese was stored in huge quantities due to the volatility of milk production during the 1980s recession. The stockpiling of cheese was a strategy to stabilise dairy prices. The government bought excess milk to keep it off the market, which resulted in a giant stockpile of milk that was then turned into cheese to extend its shelf life.

The cheese was stored in warehouses and community centres, but also in underground storage facilities. For example, there were underground warehouses near Kansas City, and cheese was also stored in converted limestone mines in Missouri.

The scale of the operation and the challenges of storing such large quantities of cheese meant that it was often spoilt. The cheese was prone to becoming mouldy, and there were logistical challenges in storing and refrigerating the cheese.

The Reagan administration distributed free cheese to the poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program

The Reagan administration's distribution of free cheese to the poor occurred under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program was established in December 1981, in response to public criticism of President Ronald Reagan, who had been elected on a platform that included stereotypes of "welfare queens" and promises to reduce federal food stamp programs. The surplus cheese, which amounted to 300 million pounds, was distributed to the elderly, low-income individuals, and organizations serving them. The cheese was provided in monthly instalments, in unsliced block form, and had a distinctive pale orange colour and pungent smell. It was often described as having a similar taste to Velveeta or American cheese.

The history of "government cheese" dates back to the Agricultural Act of 1949, which authorized the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to purchase dairy products from farmers to stabilize farm incomes. In the 1970s, the dairy industry faced a crisis due to rising dairy prices and government intervention, which resulted in fluctuating dairy prices. Under President Jimmy Carter, a new subsidy policy injected $2 billion into the dairy industry in four years, leading to overproduction and stockpiling of milk. The government converted the excess milk into cheese, butter, and dehydrated milk powder, storing them in warehouses across 35 states.

By the early 1980s, the government faced the challenge of managing the massive cheese surplus, with some officials suggesting it be dumped in the ocean. The issue gained public attention when Agriculture Secretary John R. Block displayed a block of mouldy cheese from the stockpile to the press. Facing criticism for allowing hungry Americans to suffer while millions of pounds of food went to waste, Reagan established the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program.

The program distributed cheese to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security. It was also provided to food banks and churches and, less frequently, to victims of natural disasters. The cheese was delivered from the federal government to each state, then sent to warehouses and community centres for free pickup. Despite the assistance provided, the program faced challenges due to storage and refrigeration issues, which often resulted in mouldy cheese.

The Reagan administration's decision to distribute free cheese to the poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program was a response to both practical and political concerns. It aimed to address the issue of food insecurity among low-income Americans while also reducing waste and effectively utilizing the nation's resources.

Government cheese is pasteurized process American cheese, made from a variety of cheeses

Government cheese is a type of processed cheese, specifically "pasteurized process American cheese". It is made from a variety of cheeses, including cheddar, colby, cheese curd, or granular cheese. The use of multiple types of cheese allows the government to maintain price stability and avoid waste.

Processed cheese was first developed in Switzerland in 1911 by Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler, who added sodium citrate to melted Emmentaler cheese. This innovation prevented the cheese from separating when melted and extended its shelf life. In 1916, James L. Kraft patented a similar process in the US, allowing for the mass production of his famous orange cheese. Kraft's product, containing a mixture of colby and cheddar with curds and emulsifiers, became a staple of the 20th-century American diet.

Government cheese, like other processed cheeses, is made by blending real cheese with texture- and flavor-altering ingredients. In the case of American cheese, this typically includes sodium citrate, which acts as an emulsifying agent and prevents the cheese from separating during melting. It also includes a small amount of dairy fat sources, such as cream, milk, skim milk, buttermilk, cheese whey, or albumin from cheese whey. Additionally, government cheese may contain approved coloring, such as annatto, which gives it its yellow color.

The exact ingredients and processes used to make government cheese will vary, as it is created from surplus cheese stockpiles. However, as a processed cheese, it will have a longer shelf life than traditional cheese, and its mass-produced nature keeps costs low for producers and consumers.

While the exact shelf life of government cheese is not known, its processed nature and similar products suggest that it will have an extended shelf life compared to traditional cheese.

Government cheese has been described as tasting somewhere between Velveeta and American cheese

Government cheese is a commodity cheese that was controlled by the US federal government from World War II until the early 1980s. It was created to maintain the price of dairy when dairy industry subsidies artificially increased the quantity of milk supplied, creating a surplus. The cheese was bought and stored by the government's Commodity Credit Corporation and distributed to welfare beneficiaries, Food Stamp recipients, and the elderly receiving Social Security. It was also provided to food banks and churches and used in military kitchens and schools.

Government cheese is made from a variety of cheeses, including Cheddar, Colby, cheese curds, and granular cheese, and is made meltable using emulsifiers and blended. Its flavour has been described as ranging from mild cheddar to Velveeta cheese, with a sharp taste and a waxy consistency. It melted well and was good for grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, and similar melted cheese foods. It came in large quantities, often in huge bricks that lasted a long time in the fridge.

Government cheese was an important topic in the press in the 1980s when it was revealed that the government was stockpiling milk products while millions of Americans experienced food insecurity. At the same time, President Ronald Reagan's administration cut the budget for the US federal food stamp program. In 1981, the Reagan administration decided to distribute free processed cheese to the poor under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program.

The distribution of government cheese ended in the 1990s when the dairy market stabilized and there was no longer a need for the government to continue its cheese hoarding. However, as of 2022, eligible seniors over the age of 60 are still provided with one 32-ounce (910 g) block of processed cheese food each month under the USDA Food Nutrition Service Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

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