processed cheese

American  

Or process cheese

noun

1. a mass-produced product made of one or more types of cheeses that have been heated and mixed with emulsifiers, colorings, flavorings, etc., primarily to retard spoilage and enhance spreadability at reduced cost.

---

Etymology

Origin of processed cheese

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

It is the journalistic equivalent of processed cheese without the appeal of Velveeta — somewhere between cardboard and cat vomit.

From Salon

“So you likely know that the product most people associate with ‘American cheese’ is a pasteurized processed cheese,” he explained.

From Salon

Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it’s recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard.

From Seattle Times

Mature cheeses are more expensive and processed cheese least expensive.

From Salon

No one was bothered at all by Snack-Mate, a "pasteurized processed cheese spread," similar in taste to Velveeta, that you squirted out of a can.

From Salon