Does McDonald's Use Fake Cheese? - Tasting Table

"To allay any fears you might have, pasteurized process American cheese is perfectly safe to eat and is in fact made from actual cheese. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requires that it be labeled as pasteurized processed cheese because it's not pure cheese. It is a product made from cheese. Think of it like an all-beef hot dog. You wouldn't call that just beef. It's something made from beef."

"To meet the FDA definition of processed American cheese, it must be a product that mixes two kinds of real cheese, often cheddar and Colby Jack, with added ingredients such as milk protein, emulsifiers, coloring, salt, whey, and so on. A food product must be at least 51% cheese to qualify as real processed American cheese, and has to have the same fat content as natural cheese."

Pasteurized process American cheese is made from real cheeses blended with ingredients such as milk protein, emulsifiers, coloring, salt, and whey. The FDA requires that such products be labeled pasteurized processed cheese because they are not pure natural cheese. A product must contain at least 51% cheese and match natural cheese fat content to qualify as processed American cheese; products under 51% are labeled "process cheese food." McDonald's lists its cheese as pasteurized process American cheese, which is safe to eat and provides a consistent, soft, melty texture favored by fast-food operations. Fast-food chains often prefer processed cheese for reliable melting and uniform flavor.

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