Cheez Whiz is a brand of

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese, cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, or plastic cheese) is a food product made from cheese and unfermented dairy ingredients mixed with emulsifiers. Additional ingredients, such as vegeta ...

sauce or

spread Spread may refer to: Places * Spread, West Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Spread'' (film), a 2009 film. * ''$pread'', a quarterly magazine by and for sex workers * "Spread", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album ''Speakerboxxx/T ...

produced by

Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arran ...

. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman (1915–2007). It was first sold in 1952, and with some changes in formulation continues to be in production today. Orangish-yellow in color, it usually comes in a glass jar and is used as a topping for various foods, including

corn chips Corn chips are a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop. Corn chips are thick, rigid and very crunchy. Corn chips have the strong aroma and flavor of roasted corn, and are often heavi ...

and

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

s. It is also frequently used as the cheese in a

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-style

cheesesteak A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular ...

. It is marketed in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and Venezuela. In the United States it has a reputation as being

junk food "Junk food" is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from sugar and/or fat, and possibly also sodium, but with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other important forms of nutritional value. It is also known as ...

Ingredients

A 1953 ad in Kraft Foods’ home city, Chicago, included a label illustration listing the product’s original ingredients: “American Cheese, Water, Nonfat Dry Milk Solids, Condensed Whey, Sodium Phosphate, Cream, Worcestershire Sauce, Lactic Acid, Mustard, Salt, U.S. Certified Color--Moisture 52%, Milkfat 28%.””New Hit with Millions: Kraft’s Cheez Whiz (advertisement).” Chicago Tribune, 29 November 1953. As of 2016, Kraft describes Cheez Whiz as a "cheese dip" with the word ''cheese'' spelled correctly. According to a Kraft spokesman, the product does include cheese, but the company has chosen to list its parts—such as cheese culture and milk—instead of cheese as a component itself.

Sizes

In some markets, the product has been sold in a narrow jar that tapered narrower towards the base, and sold as a spread. When Cheez Whiz is advertised as a dip or a sauce, the jars are larger and more of a squat cylindrical shape.

Varieties

Varieties include: * Cheez Whiz * Cheez Whiz Light * Cheez Whiz Tex Mex * Salsa Con Queso * Cheez Whiz Italia * Cheez Whiz Bacon * Cheez Whiz Pimento Cheez Whiz can also be found in "Handi Snacks" products such as Ritz Cheez Whiz 'n' Crackers in Canada. Cheez Whiz was reformulated in the early 21st century. The new formula is used for Cheez Whiz Light (15.5 oz) as well as the Original Big Cheese (15 oz). The products' jars were also widened to allow dipping.

Formula change

Over the years since the product's creation, Kraft has altered its recipe due to changes in dairy sourcing and the regulatory environment, resulting in a reduction of cheese content. Kraft also made a change in the way that it lists its ingredients; away from listing components (like cheese) to listing its parts (such as milk and cheese culture). Such changes are common throughout the food industry, and are often done without announcement. Dean Southworth, who was part of the original team that developed Cheez Whiz in the 1950s, described a jar he sampled in 2001 as tasting "like axle grease".

References

External links