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.

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Etymology

Origin of processed cheese

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

processed cheese

Among the products targeted by Canada are U.S. steel, aluminum, motorcycles, washers and dryers, chain saws, processed cheese, clams and frozen octopus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

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 ● Sep. 19, 2023

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 ● Mar. 23, 2023

He leaves, weighed down with rejection and processed cheese.

From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2022

Around dinnertime he opened his refrigerator and discovered there was nothing to eat but three individually wrapped slices of Kraft processed cheese.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen