Patrick Oconnell
Kraft Singles are a popular processed cheese product that has been a staple in many households since its introduction in 1950. Despite their cheese-like appearance and flavour, Kraft Singles are not legally considered cheese due to their ingredients. The product contains a mix of milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, and other additives, resulting in a composition of less than 51% real cheese. While it is made by blending and processing cheese, the addition of other ingredients and formulation changes led to the FDA requiring Kraft to change its labelling to Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product.
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What You'll Learn
Kraft Singles are a processed cheese product
Kraft Singles, introduced in 1950, are a brand of processed cheese product. They are individually wrapped slices that are formed separately during manufacturing and not cut from a block of cheese. Kraft Singles are made by grinding up older cheeses and adding them to newer cheeses, along with other ingredients, to create a final product that melts easily.
The product does not meet the legal definition of "cheese" and cannot be labelled as such. Real cheese is made primarily from milk, rennet, and salt, whereas Kraft Singles contain additional ingredients, including whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and paprika extract. The high percentage of milkfat in Kraft Singles, derived from added dairy ingredients, exceeds the limit for products labelled as "Pasteurized Process Cheese".
In 2002, the FDA ordered Kraft to change the product's label from "Pasteurized Process Cheese Food" to "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product" due to a formulation change that included milk protein concentrate, which is not a permitted additive. Kraft Singles are now labelled as a "cheese food product" or "cheese product", which more accurately reflects their processed nature.
Despite not being classified as cheese, Kraft Singles remain a popular food item, with around 40% of households in the United States continuing to purchase them. The product is well-known for its convenience, flavour, and melting properties, especially for sandwiches and grilled cheese.
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Kraft Singles are not real cheese
Kraft Singles are a brand of processed cheese product manufactured and sold by Kraft Heinz. They were introduced in 1950 as Kraft De Luxe Process Slices and were initially not wrapped individually. Despite their flavour and appearance, Kraft Singles are not considered real cheese. In fact, they cannot be labelled as such due to legal restrictions.
Real cheese is made from milk, rennet, and salt. Kraft Singles, on the other hand, contain a variety of additional ingredients, including milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and paprika extract. The presence of these extra ingredients means that Kraft Singles are less than 51% real cheese, which disqualifies them from being labelled as "Pasteurized Process Cheese".
In 2002, the FDA issued a warning to Kraft, stating that they could no longer use the label "Pasteurized Process Cheese Food" due to a formulation change. Specifically, Kraft had replaced some of the non-fat milk in the recipe with milk protein concentrate, which is not a permitted additive. As a result, Kraft complied with the FDA order and changed the label to "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product".
While Kraft Singles may not be considered real cheese, they are still a popular product, with around 40% of households in the United States continuing to buy them. The convenience of individually wrapped slices and their melting ability make them a staple for many, particularly for sandwiches and grilled cheese.
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Kraft Singles contain milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat and other ingredients
Kraft Singles are a brand of processed cheese product manufactured and sold by Kraft Heinz. They were introduced in 1950 as Kraft De Luxe Process Slices and were initially not wrapped individually. However, in August 1956, an American engineer, Arnold Nawrocki, developed a machine that allowed Kraft Singles to be sold as individually wrapped slices, a packaging and marketing strategy that the brand has since become synonymous with.
Despite their flavour and appearance, Kraft Singles are not legally recognised as cheese. Instead, they are considered a cheese food product. This is because, in addition to milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, and milkfat, Kraft Singles contain a host of other ingredients that appear in small quantities, such as sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and paprika extract, which gives each slice its signature yellow colour. When all these ingredients are mixed together, Kraft Singles contain less than 51% real cheese, which is why they cannot be legally labelled as such.
The percentage of milkfat in Kraft Singles that comes from added dairy ingredients is also greater than 5%, which means that they do not qualify for the "Pasteurized Process Cheese" labelling. In December 2002, the FDA warned Kraft that they could no longer use the label "Pasteurized Process Cheese Food" due to a formulation change that replaced some of the non-fat milk in the recipe with milk protein concentrate, which is not a permitted additive. Kraft complied with the FDA's order and changed the label to "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product".
Kraft Singles are created by grinding up older cheeses and adding them to newer cheeses to stretch their supply. An emulsifier is then added to hold everything together and make the final product melt easily, resulting in the characteristic cheese pull on a Kraft Singles grilled cheese sandwich.
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Kraft Singles were introduced in 1950
Kraft Singles, a brand of processed cheese product, were introduced in 1950 as "Kraft De Luxe Process Slices". They are individually wrapped "slices" formed separately during manufacturing and are not slices cut from a block of cheese.
The genius of James L. Kraft, the Canadian-born founder of Kraft Foods, lay in taking a milk-based product and making it long-lasting, consistent in quality, and easy to slice. In 1916, after a series of experiments, he received a patent for "process cheese", a sterilized product made by heating Cheddar at 175 degrees for 15 minutes while continuously whisking it. This invention helped turn cheese into a shippable commodity with a longer shelf life and transformed his company into a cheese empire.
James's brother Norman, who became Kraft's head of research, wanted to make things even easier for the consumer by pre-cutting the cheese into slices. However, this idea was easier said than done, as process cheese was packaged and sealed while still fluid and hot, making it challenging to cut. It took 15 years for Norman and Kraft engineers to perfect the technology and bring the product to market. They solved the manufacturing difficulties with a machine that ran liquid, pasteurized cheese through a "chill roll", creating a long ribbon of cheese that could be cut into slices.
When Kraft Singles were introduced in 1950, they were initially not wrapped individually. It was not until August 1956 that an American engineer, Arnold Nawrocki, developed a machine to wrap each slice in a transparent, pliant wrapper, revolutionizing the packaging and marketing of the product. Although Kraft later developed its own similar technology, it was not until around 1965 that they introduced individually wrapped Kraft Singles.
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Kraft Singles are individually wrapped slices
Kraft Singles are slices of processed cheese, individually wrapped and manufactured by Kraft Heinz. They were introduced in 1950 as Kraft De Luxe Processed Slices, and while they are not technically slices off a block, they are formed separately during manufacturing. Kraft Singles are not considered 'real cheese' as they contain less than 51% real cheese, with other ingredients including milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and paprika extract. The product's signature yellow colour, for instance, is derived from the addition of paprika extract.
The product was initially not wrapped individually, but in August 1956, American engineer Arnold Nawrocki developed a machine that allowed for this. This revolutionised the packaging and marketing of the product, and Kraft Singles soon became synonymous with individually wrapped cheese slices.
Kraft Singles do not qualify for the "Pasteurized Process Cheese" labelling, as the percentage of milkfat in the product that comes from added dairy ingredients is greater than 5%. In December 2002, the FDA warned Kraft that they could no longer use the "Pasteurized Process Cheese Food" label due to a formulation change that replaced some of the non-fat milk in the recipe with milk protein concentrate, which is not a permitted additive. Kraft complied and changed the label to "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product".
Despite not being classified as 'real cheese', Kraft Singles remain a popular product, with around 40% of households in the United States continuing to buy them as of 2019.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Kraft Singles are not made of real cheese. Real cheese is made from milk, rennet, and salt, whereas Kraft Singles contain other ingredients like whey, milk protein concentrate, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and paprika extract. Kraft Singles are a processed cheese product, and the FDA mandates that they are labelled as such.
Kraft Singles are made by grinding up older cheeses and adding them to newer cheeses to stretch their supply. An emulsifier is also added to hold everything together and make the final product melt easily.
Kraft Singles are not considered real cheese because they are less than 51% real cheese. The percentage of milkfat in the product that comes from added dairy ingredients is greater than 5%, disqualifying them from being labelled as "Pasteurized Process Cheese".
