# processed cheese? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176 "2006-12-22T03:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davecx82](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@davecx82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davecx82)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176/1 "2006-12-22T03:38:51Z")
why must fast-food companies state in their commercials that the cheese used is “processed”? i mean, everything on the fast-food menu is processed. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176/2 "2006-12-22T03:45:27Z")
[Processed cheese is different from the traditionally made cheeses both in how it is made and the ingredients that are added.](http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/coal.htm) There are some FDA regulations about what and what can and can’t be called cheese. That is the most likely cause although I haven’t really noticed that phrasing myself very often. The term “American cheese” is an allowable term but that refers to a specific kind of processed cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176/3 "2006-12-22T12:36:36Z")
isn’t the label “processed cheese” a bit of a compromise between their producer’s desire to have it called just cheese and the traditional cheese maker’s to have it called something really awful? I can’t remember what the traditional cheese makers wanted to call it but is what technically accurate and simply unmarketable. In the end, Kraft and Co. managed to get the term “processed cheese” accepted to the chagrin of the traditionals. Does anyone know the story? What did they wanted to call it? Was it “embalmed cheese”, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176/4 "2006-12-22T12:49:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] Does anyone know the story? What did they wanted to call it? Was it “embalmed cheese”, maybe? [/QUOTE] Yup, they wanted to call it _embalmed_ or _renovated_ cheese. [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/1/2001\_1\_8.shtml](http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2001/1/2001_1_8.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/processed-cheese/385176/5 "2006-12-22T12:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] [Processed cheese is different from the traditionally made cheeses both in how it is made and the ingredients that are added.](http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/coal.htm) There are some FDA regulations about what and what can and can’t be called cheese. That is the most likely cause although I haven’t really noticed that phrasing myself very often. The term “American cheese” is an allowable term but that refers to a specific kind of processed cheese. [/QUOTE] Umm, that’s a processing coal link…