Kraft Singles is a unforgettable snack in my childhood. But what we should know is that, it is not as healthy as we’ve imagined. And it cheated us with saying that they are “Kid Eat Right”.
Here are the 5 unbelievable truths you never knew about Kraft Singles.
They’re Not Even Cheese
It is not my opinion. Kraft is not even allowed to call their singles cheese, as per FDA regulations. By the FDA standards, a food can be identified as cheese if it contains “at least 51 percent real cheese.”
You are aware of what is stated on the ingredient list? processed cheese that has been pasteurized. I don’t hear any cheese in that.
They’re Not Natural
In fact, you can tell the color is a little off when you look at a slice. It’s strange how consistent it is. Most of the time, it doesn’t behave like cheese. Additionally, Kraft employs all legal means to avoid ever misrepresenting the naturalness of their products while still making them appear to be so.
For instance, Kraft began a campaign in February 2014 with the claim that they would stop using artificial preservatives in their slices. Basically, all they did was change preservatives they used (using ones that could be considered natural, like natamycin) and had a secret “proprietary unknown ingredient” that could really be anything.
They’re Misleading
Not only are they pretending to be cheese, but Kraft Singles packages recently got slapped with a label from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) that read “Kids Eat Right.” What is the issue here? The label, however, gives the impression that AND is promoting Kraft Singles as a healthy choice for children.
But that is not the case. What it actually means is that Kraft Singles supports AND’s “Kids Eat Right” program. But it sure won’t look that way to supermarket shoppers, and while Singles do have a ton of calcium, the negatives outweigh the positives.
They Were Created to Be Preserved and Factory-made
Unwrapped slices might appear to be neat and tidy. But in essence, Kraft Singles were created to have an eternal shelf life. At first, everyone was in favor of buying them because they were in perfect condition. The Singles weren’t real cheese, which is why they didn’t curl, all the slices were the same thickness, or get hard.
After World War II, a lot of food was produced industrially, which contributed to the success of Kraft Singles. People valued the fact that their cheese was manufactured. Standardized meant superior.
These days, we are wiser. We follow a clean eating regimen, stay away from processed foods, detox, and avoid foods with lengthy ingredient lists. My recommendation is that if you’re eating something straightforward like cheese or fruit, the ingredient list should only contain that food itself. The next time you’re feeling famished, choose a different cheese.
Their Ingredient List Reads Like a Science Experiment
Since cheese should only be composed of cheese, it shouldn’t require an ingredient list. In contrast, Kraft Singles contains 17 ingredients—yeah, 17—all derived from milk.
Cheddar cheese, whey, water, protein concentrate, milk, sodium citrate, calcium phosphate, milkfat, gelatin, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid (as a preservative), annatto and paprika extract (for color), enzymes, Vitamin A palmitate, cheese culture, and Vitamin D3 make up the ingredients list for Kraft singles. Phew.
Related Reading
American Cheese: Healthy or Not
What Kind of Cheese Is Velveeta
FAQs
What Is the Lawsuit against Kraft Velveeta?
A Florida woman is suing Kraft Heinz Food Company for at least $5 million in statutory and punitive damages over “misleading” claims on mac and cheese packaging. Amanda Ramirez of Hialeah, FL alleges that preparing Velveeta Shells and Cheese takes substantially longer than the 3.5 minutes advertised on the box.
Is Kraft Single Cheese Real Cheese?
The FDA calls it “pasteurized processed American cheese food.” In order for a food product to be a true “cheese,” it has to be more than half cheese, which is technically pressed curds of milk. So each Kraft American single contains less than 51% curds, which means it doesn’t meet the FDA’s standard.
