I think there is some sort of misconception of what the definition of cheese is. So, here we go, from Google search for “define cheese:
cheese
CHēz/
noun
noun: cheese; plural noun: cheeses
- 1. a food made from the pressed curds of milk.
"grated cheese"
So, by definition, anything that is
- edible,
- uses milk as its initial feedstock, and
- causes the milk to curdle and then presses it into a shape,
is defined as cheese.
So, let’s look at a product, and see if it is cheese:
The product starts out with Gruyère, Emmentaler, and white wine, which are melted together with a bit of cornstarch, generally a bit of kirsch, and some additional spices. Yes, the product I am talking about is cheese fondue. Now, some may argue that fondue is a cheese product, and not a cheese, but by the strict definition above, all three of the qualifiers of what makes something cheese have been met, so a cheese product is, by definition, cheese.
(image source: Swiss Cheese Fondue)
The same is true for things like pepper jack cheese, or onion havarti. The fact that the cheese has additives to change the properties, like onions, peppers, or white wine, in no way diminishes the status of the product as being called cheese, as long as the primary ingredients are curdled milk that has been pressed to remove excess liquid, while continuing to be edible.
(image source: Pepper Jack Cheese)
So, on to American Cheese. Let’s take a look at the ingredients of the most famous brand:
(image source: Kraft Singles - Wikipedia)
MILK, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, SODIUM CITRATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, LACTIC ACID, ANNATTO AND PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), NATAMYCIN (A NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR) , ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE, VITAMIN D3
American cheese has been specifically designed to melt perfectly. To this end, to prevent fat from separating out when it is heated, additional whey, milk, and milk protein are added to the cheese to better emulsify the fats. Sodium citrate, a scary sounding chemical, is actually a salt of citric acid, and is naturally occurring in white wine. It is the reason fondue recipes use white wine in the first place; It acts to emulsify the fats and proteins of cheese, so you don’t end up with a stringy, oily mess, when you melt the pot of fondue. Lactic acid is another naturally occurring ingredient in cheese, responsible for adding tangy flavor, which is added in additional quantity to flavor the added milk and milk protein, but also because a slightly acidic pH improves the melting profile of the cheese as well. Annatto and paprika are both naturally occurring spices(yes, that neon yellow color is a natural dye). Modified food starch is derived from either corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca, and is used in this case, on the off chance that none of the other emulsifiers work, to keep any grease or moisture from separating from the cheese, by absorbing it. The starch also preserves a silky texture while the cheese melts. Calcium phosphate is naturally present in milk, but is added in this case as an acidity regulator, though it also increases the dietary calcium content of the food. Natamycin is a product of bacterial fermentation, so is also a naturally occurring product, used as an anti mold preservative, as many cheeses tend to get moldy unless tightly wrapped in a plastic barrier.
What conclusions can we arrive at?
Well, American Cheese, by ingredients list, while initially appearing to be a hodgepodge of chemical additives, is in fact far more similar to a cheese fondue than most people realize. Because it is marketed to children, the alcohol ingredients had to be removed, but their functions were still necessary, so the components of wine necessary for the fondue to form properly were separated from wine and added in on their own. The product never claims to be “cheese”, as it claims to be a pasteurized prepared cheese product, which is basically what fondue is as well. Thus, if we afford fondue the moniker of cheese, we must also do so with American cheese, as American cheese is essentially fondue that has been chilled to be solidified, and individually wrapped. By definition it is cheese, but it is perfectly acceptable to call it a cheese based sauce or similar, if that makes you feel better, just don’t be hypocritical about it and call fondue cheese and not American Singles.
For a more in-depth description of the chemistry of how sodium citrate is used as a cheese emulsifier, I recommend these 2 articles by J. Kenji López-Alt:
What Is American Cheese, Anyway?
15-Minute Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese | The Food Lab
Footnotes