Cheese spread is a soft spreadable

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese; related terms include cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, and/or government cheese) is a product made from cheese mixed with an emulsifying agent (actually a calcium chelator). Additiona ...

product. Various additional ingredients are sometimes used, such as multiple cheeses, fruits, vegetables and meats, and many types of cheese spreads exist. Pasteurized process cheese spread is a type of cheese spread prepared using

pasteurized In food processing, pasteurization ( also pasteurisation) is a process of food preservation in which packaged foods (e.g., milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life ...

processed cheese and other ingredients.

Overview

Cheese spread is prepared using one or more

s or

and sometimes additional ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, meats and various spices and seasonings. Cheese spread is typically spread onto foods such as bread, toast, crackers and vegetables. Cheese spread can be commercially packaged in many ways: *in plastic tubs *in small foil-wrapped triangles or squares grouped together in a cardboard container, such as Dairylea or

The Laughing Cow The Laughing Cow ( ) is a brand of processed cheese products made by Fromageries Bel since 1921. The name refers in particular to the brand's most popular product, the spreadable wedge. Description The cheese is a blend of cream, milk, and fres ...

*in a pressurized can in which the cheese product comes out in a string-like form, such as Easy Cheese *in a jar in semi-liquid form, such as

Cheez Whiz Cheez Whiz is a brand of processed cheese sauce and spread produced by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman (1915–2007). It was first sold in 1952, and, with some changes in formulation, continues to ...

*as a solid in a butter-like bar, such as

Velveeta Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese similar to American cheese. It was invented in 1918 by Emil Frey (1867–1951) of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separat ...

Varieties

Many types of cheese spreads exist, such as almogrote,

Liptauer Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread from Slovak, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Liptauer is made with sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, quark, or cottage cheese. Etymology The name is derived from the German name ''Liptau'' or ''Liptó'' for ...

, cervelle de canut and tirokafteri, among others.

United States

In the United States, beer cheese spread is a traditional food of the U.S. state of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Pimento cheese Pimento cheese (or pimiento cheese) is a spread typically made of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos and is typically served on crackers and vegetables or in sandwiches. There are ingredient variations among family recipe, commercial recipe, and ...

is a food in the

cuisine of the Southern United States The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including Indigenous cuisine of the Americas, cuisine of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, Southeastern Native American tribes, ...

that has been referred to as the "pâté of the south" and "Carolina caviar". Port wine cheese is

mass-produced Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. ...

in the United States under several brands. Pub cheese is a soft cheese spread that is a traditional bar snack in the United States. Additional U.S. cheese spreads include

benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

, cold pack cheese and cup cheese. A cheese ball is a type of cheese spread.

Pasteurized process cheese spread

Pasteurized process cheese spread is a

product prepared using one or more cheeses, additional ingredients and sometimes

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

s such as

emulsifier An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Althou ...

s (e.g.

potassium phosphate Potassium phosphate is a generic term for the salts of potassium and phosphate ions including: * Monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) (Molar mass approx: 136 g/mol) * Dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4) (Molar mass approx: 174 g/mol) * Tripotassium p ...

and

tartrate A tartrate is a salt or ester of the organic compound tartaric acid, a dicarboxylic acid. The formula of the tartrate dianion is O−OC-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-COO− or C4H4O62−. The main forms of tartrates used commercially are pure crystalline ...

) and food stabilizers to limit product separation (e.g.

carrageenan Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfation, sulfated polysaccharides. They are extracted from red algae, red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, an ...

and

xanthan gum Xanthan gum () is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive. It is an effective thickening agent and stabilizer that prevents ingredients from separating. It can be produced from simple sugars by fermentat ...

). Cream,

milkfat Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain. Composition Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. Butt ...

, sweeteners, water, salt, various seasonings and artificial color are sometimes used as ingredients. In the United States, the amount of cheese products used in pasteurized process cheese spread must be at least 51 percent, must contain at least 20 percent milkfat, and the moisture content must be between 44 percent to 60 percent, not exceeding 60 percent. Pasteurized process cheese spread is prepared by heating the ingredients and then pouring the mixture into various molds and containers to cool and become solid. After cooling occurs, the product is then packaged.

Gallery

File:Almogrote2.jpg, Almogrote File:Beer cheese dip.jpg, A commercial beer cheese spread File:Benedictine (condiment).JPG,

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

used as a dip File:Dutch cheese spread.jpg, A Dutch commercial cheese spread on bread File:Handi-Snacks - open.jpg, Handi-Snacks is a snack food product consisting of crackers and a cheese spread File:Liptauer.jpg,

File:Quark liptauer cheese.jpg, Liptauer prepared with

quark cheese Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made from milk. The milk is soured, usually by adding lactic acid bacteria cultures, and strained once the desired curdling is achieved. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Tra ...

File:Tirokafteri.jpg, Tirokafteri is a cheese spread from Greece and surrounding Balkan countries

References