American cheese

[jennyj]

I bought some Kraft Singles American cheese for the kids at Sam's and to save on space in the fridge, I took all 3 packages out of the box and threw it away. Not sure if this is an acceptable cheese to eat or if it's considered a "cheese food" product. Anyone know? Thanks.
~Jen~

[Richt]

Do you have the ingredients list to hand, Jenny?

I know that the Kraft cheese singles we get in the UK are processed, however I am not sure if the US version is the same as what we get.

[jennyj]

Unfortunately, I don't. I threw the box away. Darn it!

~Jen~

[stickin2it]

Checked their website and it is processed "cheese food". HTH

[jennyj]

Thank you! It did help! Next question: If Kraft doesn't make "real" American cheese, who does and where do you find it? Does it even exist?

~Jen~

[julirama723]

I wouldn't eat that stuff--usually it has sugar or fillers in it that you don't find in "regular" cheese. And who knows what else? I'm afraid of a perishable food that can last for years in a fridge...

I just buy a HUGE block of good cheese (I buy Tillamook) when it's on sale, and I just slice it into one ounce slices. Occasionally I will use pre-shredded, but I prefer whole cheese that's relatively healthy.

[julirama723]

Kraft makes some cracker sliced stuff, if that's what you mean...

Are you brand loyal?

I would go for cheese that is a bit more expensive, and more like homemade. Or even buy the "store brand" cheese that's in block form.

[2big4mysize]

american cheese 101
the correct name for real cheese top of the line American is Pasturized Processed American Cheese. American is a blend of cheddar and colby if it has that label. other american cheeses have other cheeses in the mix.

the words we need to avoid on cheese labels are cheese food, imitation cheese, and cheese product.

[jennyj]

Thanks, guys. Ya learn something new every day! Juli - I'm definitely not loyal to any brand of cheese - I love ALL cheese!

~Jen~

[scott123]

Kraft Product Info

KRAFT SINGLES KRAFT SINGLES AMERICAN 24 CT

Ingredients: MILK, WHEY, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, APOCAROTENAL (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR), ENZYMES, VITAMIN D3, CHEESE CULTURE.

Serving Size 19g
Servings per Container about 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 60 Calories from Fat 40
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.5g 7 %
Saturated Fat 2.5g 13 %
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg 5 %
Sodium 250mg 10 %
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0 %
Dietary Fiber 0g 0 %
Sugars 1g
Protein 3g

Whey contains a fairly substantial amount of lactose, so the added whey in this is driving the carbs up a bit. It's not that hard to find a 0 carb/0 sugar American Cheese. I buy Kraft Deli Deluxe:

DELI DELUXE CHEESE AMERICAN SLICES INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED 24 CT

Ingredients: AMERICAN CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, MILKFAT, SODIUM CITRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR).

Serving Size 19g
Servings per Container about 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 70 Calories from Fat 50
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 9 %
Saturated Fat 3.5g 18 %
Cholesterol 20mg 7 %
Sodium 310mg 13 %
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0 %
Dietary Fiber 0g 0 %
Sugars 0g
Protein 4g