His Can's Gone Empty: Cheez Whiz Inventor Passes

[Tuckerfan]

College students in mourning.

Edwin Traisman, a food scientist who created the process for freezing McDonald’s french fries and helped develop Cheez Whiz, has died. He was 91.

Traisman died Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics following a heart attack, said his granddaughter Jenna Greene, of Chevy Chase, Md.

He worked for Kraft Foods on the teams that created Cheez Whiz and individually packaged cheese slices in the 1950s. He became a division director of food research with responsibility for cheese and related projects.

Then Traisman wandered into a McDonald’s restaurant near Chicago to ask about opening a franchise, said his wife of 44 years, Dorothy. He approached a man who was sweeping and asked for the manager. The man said the manager wasn’t in, but he might be able to help – and he turned out to be Ray Kroc, Dorothy said.

RIP

[Rebo]

That’s very sad. He created a great product! But it doesn’t come in a can, it comes in a jar. And makes a nice cheese sauce for broccoli!

[Wile_E]

Dolores beat me to it. Cheez Whiz is not the same thing as the Easy Cheese (Spray Cheese, Cheese in a Can). It is also made by Kraft, no info there on who invented it, perhaps Edwin worked on it as well.

Cheez Whiz is actually pretty good. When I was newly on my own I always kept some Cheez Whiz on hand for making quick Mac and Cheese. It doesn’t taste quite as overprocessed as Velveeta. So thank you, Edwin, may you rest in peace.

Now I am getting a craving for Cheez Whiz Mac and Cheese.

[Tuckerfan]

@Dolores Reborn

That’s very sad. He created a great product! But it doesn’t come in a can, it comes in a jar. And makes a nice cheese sauce for broccoli!

Actually, for institutional use it does come in a can, but Wile E’s right in that I did have 'em a bit confused.

[Crazy_Canuck]

Does this mean he’s now Cheese Whaz?