this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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“American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese
It’s flavourless processed milk solids.
This Wikipedia article contradicts itself, because Kraft Singles don't even qualify as American Cheese due to them not containing actual cheese (which it says in the article). Actual American cheese is just as flavorful as whatever cheese it's made from.
The sodium citrate trick is really useful for recipes containing cheese. You can make sodium citrate from lemon juice and baking soda, melt a chunk of cheddar or colby with it and you have instant queso