American cheese

American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mild with a creamy texture and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point. It is typically yellow or white in color; yellow American cheese is seasoned and colored with annatto.

Processed American cheese was invented in the 1910s by James L. Kraft, the founder of Kraft Foods Inc., who obtained a patent for his manufacturing process in 1916.

British colonists made cheddar cheese soon after their arrival in North America. By 1790, American-made cheddars were being exported back to England. According to Robert Carlton Brown, author of The Complete Book of Cheese, what was known in America as yellow cheese or store cheese was known as American cheddar or Yankee cheddar in England. The Oxford English Dictionary lists the first known usage of "American cheese" as occurring in the Frankfort, Kentucky, newspaper The Guardian of Freedom in 1804.

After patenting a new method for manufacturing processed cheese in 1916, James L. Kraft began marketing it in the late 1910s. The term "American cheese" rapidly began to refer to the processed variety instead of the traditional but more expensive cheddars also made and sold in the U.S.

A mix of ingredients that must include at least 51% cheese (such as a traditionally made cheddar or Colby) is ground, combined with emulsifying agents and other ingredients that may total up to 49%, mixed and heated until it forms a melted homogeneous mixture. Sodium citrate is an important additive at this time, as it prevents the cheese fats from separating. The cheese mixture is then heated to a temperature of at least 150 °F (66 °C) for a minimum of 30 seconds during pasteurization.

Composition requirements of processed American cheese control the percentage of milkfat, moisture, salt and pH value in the final product, along with specifications for flavor, body and texture, color, and meltability.

Processed American cheese is variously packaged in individually wrapped slices, as unwrapped slices sold in stacks, or in unsliced blocks. Any similar product found in the U.S. - including with the term "single" in its name, like Kraft Singles - that does not include the specific term "cheese" along with its description is not cheese, but "cheese food", meaning it has less than 51% cheese in its ingredients.

American cheese is a common choice for sandwiches because of its neutral flavor and soft texture, pairing with a variety of meats and other ingredients.