Velveeta Cheese: A Long History Of Creamy Deliciousness

Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product similar to American cheese. It was invented in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey, who worked for the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. The cheese was created to make use of broken cheese wheels, which were often produced by the company's Pennsylvania factory. By adding by-products of the cheesemaking process, such as whey, to the broken cheese bits, Frey was able to create a smooth, pliable food product with a velvety consistency when melted. As a result, he named the product Velveeta, which was incorporated as a separate company in 1923 and later sold to Kraft Foods in 1927.

Velveeta was invented in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey

Velveeta has been around for over a century, since its invention in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey. Frey was a cheesemaker who moved from Switzerland to upstate New York, where he worked in cheese factories in the late 1880s. He created the popular Liederkranz cheese, an American-made version of Limburger, for the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York.

However, the Monroe Cheese Company faced financial difficulties and was sold to Jacob Weisl in 1891. Under new ownership, the company opened a second factory in Covington, Pennsylvania, which primarily produced Swiss cheese. Unfortunately, many of the cheese wheels produced at this factory were broken or misshapen, resulting in significant waste.

Determined to find a solution, Weisl sent the broken cheese pieces to Frey, who spent two years experimenting with them at his home. Finally, in 1918, Frey had a breakthrough. He discovered that by mixing cheese byproducts, such as whey, with the broken cheese bits, he could create a smooth, pliable, and cohesive food product. When melted, it had a velvety texture, inspiring Frey to name his invention "Velveeta."

The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company in 1923, and it operated independently until it was purchased by Kraft Foods Inc. in 1927. Despite changes in ownership and formulation over the years, Velveeta has endured as an iconic brand, beloved for its smooth meltability and versatility in various recipes.

It was created to salvage broken cheese wheels

In the early 1900s, the Monroe Cheese Company was one of the most successful cheesemakers in the country. However, many of the Swiss cheese wheels produced in its Pennsylvania factory were broken or misshapen. Not wanting to waste the discarded cheese, the company sent the broken pieces to in-house cheese wiz Emil Frey, a Swiss immigrant who had previously invented Liederkranz, a popular American version of Limburger cheese.

Frey began experimenting with the scraps, taking them back to his home where he spent two years working on a process to make use of them. He eventually discovered that by melting the broken pieces together and adding byproducts like whey, he could create a smooth, pliable food product with a velvety consistency when melted. Frey called his invention "Velveeta", intending to connote a "velvety smooth" product.

In 1918, Frey had his breakthrough, mixing cheese byproducts with the broken cheese bits to form a cheese blend. In 1923, the Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and in 1927, it was purchased by Kraft Foods Inc. The brand has since expanded into a line of products, including cheesy bites, macaroni and cheese, and cheesy skillets.

The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated in 1923

The company sent the discarded cheese to Frey, who experimented with the scraps in his home kitchen. He discovered that by adding byproducts like whey back into the cheese, he could create a smooth, pliable food product. When melted, it had a velvety consistency, inspiring Frey to call it Velveeta.

In 1923, Frey incorporated a separate Velveeta company independent from the Monroe Cheese Co. The new company was based in Monroe, New York, and was successful for a few years. However, in 1927, it was sold to Kraft Foods.

Kraft marketed Velveeta as a nutritious product, arguing that the addition of whey made it a kind of dairy wonder-product. They even paid for a research study at Rutgers University to confirm its nutritional benefits. This strategy paid off: in 1931, the American Medical Association gave Velveeta its seal of approval, claiming it had all the necessary nutritional value to build "firm flesh".

Kraft Foods bought the company in 1927

In 1927, Kraft Foods Inc. bought the Velveeta Cheese Company. This was four years after the Velveeta Cheese Company had been incorporated as a separate company from the Monroe Cheese Company, which had been facing financial difficulties.

Kraft was already a major player in the processed cheese market, and the acquisition of Velveeta added another weapon to its arsenal. The company made some tweaks to the original formula, retaining the Swiss inventor Emil Frey's name for marketing purposes.

Under Kraft, Velveeta's branding shifted to emphasise its nutritional value. The addition of whey to the mixture was promoted as bumping up the product's nutritional content. Kraft even commissioned a research study at Rutgers University to confirm these supposed benefits, and in 1931, the American Medical Association gave its stamp of approval, claiming that Velveeta had all the necessary qualities to promote "firm flesh".

The product's popularity increased through the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. In the 1930s, two-thirds of Americans preferred processed cheese to natural cheese. Kraft's marketing campaigns touted Velveeta's mild flavour, ease of use, and nutritional value.

However, when Kraft debuted pre-sliced cheese in the 1950s, it had to do some damage control to avoid internal competition. The company rebranded Velveeta as a dip and sauce, a positioning that has endured.

It was originally marketed as a healthy product

Invented in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey, Velveeta was originally marketed as a healthy product. The cheese was created to make use of broken cheese wheels, which were otherwise unsellable and losing the Monroe Cheese Company money. Frey discovered that by melting the broken pieces together and adding byproducts like whey, he could create a smooth, pliable food product with a velvety consistency when melted. The name Velveeta was intended to connote this smooth texture.

In 1927, the Velveeta Cheese Company was acquired by Kraft. Kraft marketed the cheese product for its nutritional value, arguing that the addition of whey (which includes potentially desirable carbohydrates and minerals) made the cheese a kind of dairy wonder-product. The company even paid for a research study at Rutgers University to confirm Velveeta's nutritional benefits.

In 1931, the American Medical Association (AMA) gave Velveeta its seal of approval, stating that the product had all the necessary nutritional value to build "firm flesh". This endorsement was leveraged in marketing materials, with early TV spots in the 1930s and 1940s targeting "weight-watching moms" and their "youngsters". Original commercials also claimed that the product was "highly nourishing" and "rich yet mild".

In the 1950s, Kraft introduced pre-sliced cheese, which risked competing with the blocks of Velveeta. To avoid internal competition, Kraft rebranded Velveeta as a dip and sauce. Advertising campaigns from this time continued to tout the product's nutritional value, ease of use, and mild flavour.

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