Land O' Lakes :: Food Service

Setting a higher standard of performance
Known for consistent performance, LAND O LAKES® Process Cheeses are made from natural cheese to deliver premium quality and rich flavor. Our high-performance process cheeses come in a variety of melt characteristics, to enable you to achieve the melting properties that best fit your processing system or the end-product profile you want to achieve. Call 1-800-328-1322 to request complete product specifications on any of these products.

Hi Temp Process Cheeses
• Formulated to soften at high temperature.
• Doesn’t melt completely.

Slow Melt Process Cheeses
• Designed to melt, but at a higher temperature than normal-melt products.

Normal Melt Process Cheeses
• Products melt easily.
• Suitable for many general product applications.

LAND O LAKES® Extra Melt® Pasteurized Process Cheeses
• Products melt easily and evenly, but maintain their consistency.
• Less browning under prolonged heat and holding.
• An excellent choice for rich, creamy sauces and dips.

Custom Cheese Products
We have the technology to formulate custom process cheese products to meet specific flavor, manufacturing functionality, performance, and cost goals. Click here for more information.

IS PROCESS CHEESE REAL CHEESE?

Absolutely. Process cheese is made from natural cheese that is blended with liquid and emulsifiers to achieve specific characteristics (like longer holding, and smoother melting). This process results in a more stable product that performs better than natural cheeses in certain applications. Unlike natural cheese, process cheese resists separating and clumping when heated or held hot for long periods. The FDA regulates the ingredient content of products that are labeled as “Process Cheese.” The major classifications include the following:

• Process (American) Cheese
Pasteurized Process Cheese is made from a blend of natural cheeses that have been heated and combined with other ingredients. To be labeled process cheese, a product must contain 30% minimum fat and 40% maximum moisture.

• Process Cheese Food
Process Cheese Food is made the same way as process cheese, but with a lower fat (23% minimum) and higher moisture (44% maximum) content.

• Process Cheese Spread
Similar to process cheese, but with a lower fat (20% minimum) and higher moisture (44% to 60% maximum) content, and usually a softer texture.

• Process Cheese Product
Also made from a blend of natural cheeses and other ingredients, but with no minimum fat or maximum moisture requirements.