The History of Velveeta

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/there-is-no-shortage-history-when-it-comes-velveeta-180949312/

by venutip • 13 years ago

12 6 13 years ago

kadabra9• 13 years ago

The cynic in me can't help but think that this so called "velveeta shortage" just in time for the NFL Playoffs/Superbowl is in reality nothing more than a lame guerilla marketing tactic from the Kraft marketing team in an attempt to drum up sales. The last few times I've gone grocery shopping I've noticed an abundance of Velveeta on the shelves, I would have had no clue there was a so called "shortage" unless you told me so.

Einstalbert• 13 years ago

When I went shopping for Christmas party baking and cooking supplies, I noticed a metric ton of Velveeta wherever I went. I think the "shortage" is just "We have less from the holiday eating rush, let's make some news."

Theodores• 13 years ago

Clearly the author has never stepped foot inside a cheese factory. Here is what happens:

Milk arrives

Milk get pasteurised

Rennet gets added to milk

Milk separates to curds and whey

Salt gets added

Whey gets drained off

Whey gets compressed into moulds with remaining whey squeezed out

Moulded blocks of what was whey go into plastic bags, put in the cold storage 'fridge'

After a while the moulded blocks mature into cheese. Typically they weigh 25 Kg each. Over time they mature - mature cheese is a premium product, however, the cold storage facility is only so big. Therefore some cheese gets sold as 'mild'.

The price of milk comes into it. As does what cows eat. As does how much rain falls. Sometimes it is better to make coloured cheese or 'diet' cheese if the milk is not up to scratch.

The whey actually is a very salty 'byproduct'. You can put it into a big machine that looks like a washing machine and churn it into butter. It will be salted butter because it already has salt in it.

As for wastage of the 'curd', there is practically none in a modern cheese factory. So I have no idea what this author is on about. You may have a useless employee knock a corner off a cheese block due to poor handling, but other than that there is practically no waste. The idea of 'what shall we do with this waste' is a bit beyond a joke.

This 'Velveeta' stuff has nothing to do with cheese. It is disgusting. The ingredients say it all. It is a fake product, like what salad cream is to mayonnaise. There is no quaint charm about it, no matter what the spin is here.

However, in the days before refrigeration was commonplace there was good reason to adulterate products so that they could have some half-decent shelf life. So, even though the original product was honourable, today's monster, reformulated product is just plain evil. Avoid with a bargepole.

sizzle• 13 years ago

Thank you for the cheesy insight. Learn something new everyday

cothomps• 13 years ago

Great comment - but what the hell is "salad cream"? (Miracle Whip?)

poulsbohemian• 13 years ago

Theodores - do you make cheese / work in a cheese factory? Would be interesting to talk to you about it: jeff@mercenarytech.com

The History of Velveeta

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