The "Big" Debate

[coolJ]

Last night at work, a few of us guys got into a debate over, get this, whether processed cheese is real or synthetic, I sort of sat on the side lines on that one, mostly because I can't make up my own mind on the topic, What is your opinion on processed cheese ?.

[Papa]

Dear CoolJ:

Processed cheese is an oximoron! Such thing doew not exist! It is either cheese or it is processed something!

Casein which is present in every processed cheese, is used in making shirt buttons, glue, asphalt, etc....

Do I need say more?

[coolJ]

Thanks for the insight Papa.

[Svadhisthana]

I agree with Papa, that is why the packages read "cheese food" or "cheese product" not just "cheese". Unfortunately, I was raised on Velveta because it was so cheap. Bits of this stuff, when melted and cooled on the surface of a plate is very plastic like. ewwwwww.

EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!! MY son loves kraft mac and cheese... the powder cheese kind, do you think that is just as bad? I mean clearly it is not "healthy" but is it plastic?

I credit divine intervention and a lot of grace for the survival of my kids so far, given what I let them eat...they eat a fair amount of mac & cheese...if that's any consolation (probably not... )

Actually we do limit sweets and snack foods quite a bit so maybe it's not as bad as it sounds...

Also re: 'cheese product' - the other one to watch out for is 'chocolate (or whatever) flavored'. If it's 'flavored' it's artificial, right?

My poor kids... - they'll have no acquired 'healthy tastes' when they grow up, at this rate...!

[fim]

[Pete]

You you have to be very careful about making blanket statements about processed cheese. In this country, yes, most of it is **** , and very little of it is actually cheese. But that is only in this country. In Europe many types of processed cheese abound. There are many different products out there that are similar to Boursin and they sell quite well. Any type of "crocked cheese" both homemade or storebought is considered processed cheese, and many of these products are quite good. As for Kraft Mac & Cheese that is one of my guilty little pleasures. SHHHHH!!!! Don't tell anyone! LOL!!

[Svadhisthana]

Your secret is safe with us.

[nancya]

Hey! Did you hear about Pete???

Glad that none of the rest of us like anything we'd be ashamed to admit.

shhhhh!

[Pete]

LOL!!!!!!!

[MikeLM]

Maybe not so terribly politically incorrect...
As I understand it, processed cheese is (or used to be) largely composed of dried skim milk powder with enough cheese added to give it some flavor. That's at least more protein and less fat than the real thing. Maybe it's all petrochemicals these days, I don't get it much any more. I hated cheese as a kid until I tried some Velveeta, and I liked that (maybe because it was heavily salted.)

I gradually got into more kinds of real cheese, but I'm still sort of grateful to Velveeta for getting me started. I'm appalled at seeing mountains of it stacked up in supermarket aisles, though. I wouldn't touch any "diary" product that doesn't need to be refrigerated. Same goes for sausages.

Speaking of cheese... where can I look for fresh Bel Paese. We got some at a gourmet store in the S. F. Bay area, and I haven't been able to find it anywhere in our travels since. I've been told that it spoils quickly once the wheel is cut and re-wrapped. I just realized how much I like it and I'm quite frustrated.

Mike