Why You Won't Find Velveeta In The Refrigerated Aisle - Tasting Table

"Some grocery stores stock their bricks of Velveeta in the refrigerated aisle, alongside cheese blocks and bags of shredded fromage. At other grocery retailers, the Velveeta might be stashed in the canned aisle beside tins of stewed tomatoes and jarred pasta sauces. Both spots work just as well. Velveeta doesn't need to be refrigerated at all, because it's processed. Surprising probably no one, Velveeta isn't technically cheese at all."

"The ingredient is best known as the "cheese" in mac and cheese, or as the "queso" in chip dips like this chorizo queso blanco. Yet, a closer look at Velveeta's packaging reveals phrases like "Melts better and 50% less fat than cheddar cheese" and "pasteurized recipe cheese product" - both of which are to say that Velveeta itself is not cheese."

Velveeta is a processed, non-perishable cheese product that is often stocked either in refrigerated aisles or in canned goods sections because it does not require refrigeration until opened. Packaging highlights such as "Melts better and 50% less fat than cheddar cheese" and "pasteurized recipe cheese product" reflect its processed formulation rather than traditional cheese. The Food and Drug Administration penalized Kraft in 2002 for labeling Velveeta as pasteurized process cheese spread, prompting the current name. The National Dairy Council defines cheese as milk, salt, starter culture, and rennet transformed into curd. Some cheeses, including low-moisture hard cheeses and pasteurized American-style cheeses, also do not require refrigeration.

Read at Tasting Table