Bushra Griffith
Cheddar cheese is a beloved dairy product, but is it natural or processed? Cheese is made from milk or cream and is meant to be white, but the orange color is a harmless, natural additive. All cheese is processed to some degree, but the term processed cheese refers to products with the highest amount of cheese content, made from cheese, up to 5% milk fat, and other additives. Natural cheese is made from fresh, high-quality milk, salt, enzymes, and natural colors. On the other hand, processed cheese often contains emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.
Is Cheddar Cheese Natural or Processed?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural Cheddar Cheese | Cultured or made with cultured milk |
| Processed Cheddar Cheese | Pasteurized |
| Natural Cheddar Cheese | Made with natural ingredients, including fresh high-quality milk, salt, enzymes, and natural colors |
| Processed Cheddar Cheese | Made with emulsifying salts, preservatives, artificial ingredients, and extra salt |
| Natural Cheddar Cheese | Aged naturally under controlled temperatures to develop flavor and texture |
| Processed Cheddar Cheese | Melted and emulsified, then reformed into various forms |
| Processed Cheddar Cheese | Developed to have a longer shelf life, mass-produced, and cheaper |
| Processed Cheddar Cheese | Melts without becoming oily or separating |
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What You'll Learn
Natural cheese is made from simple, natural ingredients
Natural cheese is different from processed cheese, which is made from a blend of natural cheese and other ingredients. Processed cheese is not 100% cheese and usually hovers around 50% cheese, but this can vary. The extra non-cheese ingredients in processed cheese can include salt, food dyes, preservatives, extra dairy, emulsifiers, or other artificial ingredients. These ingredients are added to melted, pasteurized cheese, which is then converted into various forms. The actual cheese in the mix changes significantly in terms of flavor and texture after the addition of these ingredients.
Processed cheese was first developed in Switzerland in 1911 by Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler, who added sodium citrate to melted Emmentaler cheese. In 1916, Canadian-American James L. Kraft applied for the first U.S. patent for a method of making processed cheese. Kraft Foods Inc. developed the first commercially available, shelf-stable, sliced processed cheese, which was introduced in 1950. The first commercially available individually wrapped cheese slices were introduced in the US by Clearfield Cheese Co. in 1956. These forms of processed cheese have become ubiquitous in U.S. households, especially for cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Natural cheese, on the other hand, is cultured and will have "Cheese Cultures" or "Cultured Milk" in the ingredients list. An example of natural cheese is natural shredded cheddar cheese, which does not form a homogeneous plastic mass when heated due to its inherent negative hydration characteristics.
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Processed cheese is made from a blend of cheeses
Processed cheese is not 100% cheese. It usually contains around 50% cheese, but this can vary, with the remaining ingredients being non-cheese additives. These additives are added to melted, pasteurized cheese, which is then converted into a sliced solid, a jarred sauce, a spread, or a spray. The non-cheese ingredients can include salt, food dyes, preservatives, extra dairy, emulsifiers, or other artificial ingredients.
The process of making processed cheese involves grinding, mixing, melting, and emulsifying one or more types of cheeses with the aid of heat and emulsifying salts. The mixture is heated under vacuum with continuous agitation until a homogeneous plastic mass is obtained. This process changes the insoluble calcium para-casein gel of the natural cheese into a para-casein sol, which is a homogeneous, flowing mass. This sol is then converted back into a gel through the influences of cooling and polymerization forces, resulting in processed cheese.
The addition of emulsifying salts and other ingredients helps to create a cheese that melts smoothly without becoming oily or separating. This makes it ideal for use in dishes like cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, where it can cook evenly and distribute smoothly. The emulsifying agents also help to create a uniform look and physical behavior, making it consistent in flavor and texture.
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Natural cheese has a shorter shelf life
Processed cheese is made from a blend of natural cheeses, most often Colby and cheddar, and other ingredients such as vegetable oils, unfermented dairy, emulsifiers, salt, food colouring, sugar, preservatives, and extra dairy. These ingredients are added to melted, pasteurized cheese, which is then converted into a sliced solid, a jarred sauce, a spread, or a spray. The extra ingredients give processed cheese a different flavour and texture than natural cheese, and it melts differently, too. Processed cheese melts without becoming oily or separating, which makes it ideal for dishes like cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Natural cheese, on the other hand, is made from simple, natural ingredients, including fresh high-quality milk, salt, enzymes, and natural colours. It is cultured, meaning it is made by adding bacteria cultures to milk, or pasteurized, which involves heating milk to a high temperature. Natural cheese will not form a homogeneous plastic mass when heated due to its inherent negative hydration characteristics.
The longer shelf life of processed cheese is one of its biggest advantages over natural cheese. Processed cheese is cheaper for producers and consumers, and it is more widely available. However, natural cheese has a more complex flavour profile and is considered healthier than processed cheese.
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Processed cheese is cheaper to produce and buy
Processed cheese was first developed in Switzerland in 1911 by Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler, who sought to create a cheese with a longer shelf life. They added sodium citrate to melted Emmentaler cheese and found that the emulsified cheese sauce could be re-cooled into a solid. This process was further developed by Canadian-American businessman James L. Kraft, who applied for the first U.S. patent for a method of making processed cheese in 1916. Kraft Foods introduced the first commercially available, shelf-stable, sliced processed cheese in 1950, and it has since become a staple in U.S. households.
The longer shelf life of processed cheese is one of the main reasons for its lower cost. Preservatives and other additives are added to the cheese, which allow it to last longer without refrigeration. This reduces the care required by grocers and distributors, resulting in lower costs for producers, sellers, and consumers.
Additionally, the production process of processed cheese contributes to its lower cost. It is made by blending shredded natural cheese of varying maturity with emulsifying salts and other ingredients, such as vegetable oils, unfermented dairy, salt, food colouring, or sugar. This mixture is then heated and mechanically agitated until a homogeneous plastic mass is obtained. The use of emulsifying salts and other additives helps to create a consistent product with a smooth and creamy texture, which is easier to produce and process on a large scale.
While processed cheese may be cheaper and more convenient, it is important to note that it is not 100% cheese. It typically contains around 50-60% cheese and 40-50% other ingredients. The high proportion of additives means that some products cannot legally be labelled as cheese in many countries. However, processed cheese has its advantages, such as its meltability and longer shelf life, which have made it a popular choice for certain dishes, such as cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
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Natural cheese is cultured or pasteurized
Natural cheese can be cultured or pasteurized. Cultured cheese is made by adding live bacteria (usually lactobacilli) to milk to ferment it and turn it into cheese. The bacteria raise the acidity of the milk by absorbing the lactose (milk's natural sugar) and transforming it into lactic acid. This process helps the milk split into curds, an essential ingredient for producing cheese. The lactic acid also causes the milk to become more acidic, and the cheese begins to develop its unique flavour, texture, and smell.
On the other hand, pasteurized cheese is made by heating milk to a specific temperature for a specific duration to limit the growth of harmful microbes. The heating process does not alter the milk's composition but kills bacteria and other microbes. Most commercially produced cheeses are made with pasteurized milk, as it is more widely available and affordable than raw milk. Pasteurized milk also carries fewer bacteria, beneficial or harmful, which means the cheese culture has more freedom to propagate and develop a more consistent flavour.
The process of cheese pasteurization was first developed in 1911 by Swiss scientists Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler. They added sodium citrate to melted Emmentaler cheese and found that the emulsified cheese sauce could be re-cooled into a solid, giving it a longer shelf life. In 1916, Canadian-American businessman James L. Kraft applied for the first U.S. patent for a method of making processed cheese. Kraft Foods Inc. later developed the first commercially available, shelf-stable, sliced processed cheese, which was introduced in 1950.
Cheddar cheese can be made using either cultured or pasteurized milk. When made with raw, cultured milk, cheddar tends to have a more nuanced and robust flavour due to the presence of wild bacteria and yeasts. However, when made with pasteurized milk, cheddar has a more consistent flavour but may lack the depth of flavour of its raw milk counterpart.
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Frequently asked questions
Processed cheese is made from natural cheese; but it also contains non-cheese ingredients like salt, preservatives, food dyes, dairy, emulsifiers, and other artificial ingredients.
If the label says " [cheese variety] cheese", it's natural cheese. If it says " [cheese variety] pasteurized processed cheese", it's processed cheese.
Cheddar cheese can be either natural or processed.
Processed cheese is cheaper, melts more easily, and has a longer shelf life than natural cheese.
