A Really Cheesy Product

     Many cheesesteak affectionados would contend that the iconic sandwich of Philadelphia isn't complete without a healthy slathering of Cheez Whiz.  The processed cheese sauce was developed by the food scientists at Kraft Foods who set out to create a stable form of cheese. And they succeeded.  The pasteurized sauce first appeared on store shelves in 1953 and was an immediate hit among housewives all across the country.

     Containing American, mozzarella, Muenster and Gouda, along with mustard, salt, Worcestershire sauce, sorbic acid and the "school-bus orange hue of food dye #A001M" it is an amazing product.  It melts on contact with hot food, doesn't clump or curdle like other cheeses and has an almost eternal shelf life.


     Cheez Whiz can be spooned on macaroni, mixed with veggies, spread on crackers and used in 5 layer Mexican dip.  One web site boldly claims that there are over a thousand uses for the popular product.


     But a word of caution for dieters...A single serving which Kraft determines to be 33 grams (2 Tablespoons) contains 7 grams of fat, 25 mg of cholesterol and a whopping 541 mg of sodium.  In that serving are 91 calories of which 62 are derived from fat.  So while it is high in calcium and phosphorous it is also very high in saturated fat and sodium.

     I think I'll just have my cheesesteak with onions only, no cheese please!