Processed cheese
Cheese melted with emulsifying salts into a smooth, uniform product, sold as slices, cubes, spreads and tins.
Also: process cheese, cheese spread, processed cheese slices
Processed cheese is made by grinding natural cheese, usually young cheddar or Gouda-type, and heating it with water and emulsifying salts such as sodium citrate or phosphates. The salts stop the fat and protein from separating, so it melts smoothly without oiling off and keeps for months. It was developed in Switzerland in 1911 and patented in the United States in 1916, and it fed armies in two world wars. In India processed cheese, in tins, cubes, slices and spreads, was for decades the main cheese people knew outside paneer, and it remains the cheese of sandwiches and street-side cheese toasts. It is mild and salty, with a uniform texture.