processed cheese

or process 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of processed cheese¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

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

He leaves, weighed down with rejection and processed cheese.

From New York Times

In her efforts to make homemade pimiento cheese more like the store-bought stuff, Mom reluctantly tried processed cheese.

From Seattle Times