Kraft
Kraft is an American food brand of The Kraft Heinz Company; in cheese it is best known for Kraft Singles slices of pasteurized prepared cheese product.
Kraft is an American food brand owned by The Kraft Heinz Company. The name is used for sauces, macaroni and cheese and cheese products; this page covers only cheese.
The story of Kraft cheese is tied to processed cheese. According to Kraft Heinz, in 1935 Norman Kraft, the younger brother of the company's founder J.L. Kraft, found a way to make cheese slices by pouring hot liquid cheese onto a cold steel table and cutting it. The method and equipment were patented, and in 1947 the slices were test-marketed in Detroit. In the 1950s came Kraft DeLuxe, the first commercially packaged cheese slices, and in 1965 Kraft Singles, each slice individually wrapped.
The brand's main cheese range is Kraft Singles: American, White American, Pepper Jack and Ultra Thick slices. Under US rules they are a pasteurized prepared cheese product, not natural cheese: cheese and dairy ingredients are melted together into a smooth mass.
The slices melt well, so they are used in burgers, melts, grilled cheese sandwiches and with eggs.
Why it matters to you: "cheese product" on the pack means a processed cheese product; how it differs from natural cheese is explained under Processed cheese and cheese products.
Facts
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Raw material | cheese and dairy ingredients (processed) |
| Main use | burgers, sandwiches, grilled cheese |
What it includes
How it connects to Cheese
Kraft → kind of → 🫕 Processed cheese and cheese products → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🏭 Cheese producers and brands, 🫕 Processed cheese and cheese products
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the Kraft brand?
The Kraft Heinz Company (USA).
Are Kraft Singles natural cheese?
No. They are a pasteurized prepared cheese product.
When did Kraft cheese slices appear?
Norman Kraft developed the method from 1935; Kraft DeLuxe slices came in the 1950s and individually wrapped Kraft Singles in 1965.
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
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