Okay, that’s a reasonable argument. Although meatloaf doesn’t use any chemical additives, it’s traditionally just ground meat, breadcrumbs, and eggs, along with seasonings and spices. And just like the name implies, it doesn’t pretend to be meat, hence the addition of the word “loaf”, which is usually used for bread. It’s a meat product in the same way that American cheese is cheese product.
As for cheese alternatives made from plants, those are not allowed to be called cheese either. They are allowed to wear the names of the cheese varieties they aim to imitate, but it has to be accompanied by the word “style” and never by the word “cheese”, so you get things like “plant-based cheddar style slices” or “dairy-free mozzarella style shreds”.
Also fair.
I won’t pretend I’m following USDA or whatever naming rules (the “uncured” labeling is bullshit - oh we didn’t use straight potassium nitrate - just celery juice which contains the potassium nitrate), just going with the general language trend I see. YMMV
I did conflate cheese that has built in emulsifiers, “american cheese”, with imitation cheese product (likely the plastic wrapped slices melted onto that dish) which also has emulsifiers and has lower fat content and isn’t as nice. That’s on me, my bad.
tongue-in-cheek, not really ragging it but: “oooooo chemicals” like salt? The potassium nitrate in cured/“uncured” meats? Sodium citrate, one of the most common additives to keep cheese emulsified, is often used in sausage making…and apparently blood banks if wikipedia is to be believed. I know there are horrible things put in processed foods, but “chemicals” is not a useful way to distinguish them. I apologize in advance if I’ve read a too-unfavorable slant into your use of the word chemical.
I’m not a chemist so I can’t tell you how good are bad those are for your long term health but as far Kraft Singles are concerned, the choice appears to be sodium phosphate, not citrate.
Okay, that’s a reasonable argument. Although meatloaf doesn’t use any chemical additives, it’s traditionally just ground meat, breadcrumbs, and eggs, along with seasonings and spices. And just like the name implies, it doesn’t pretend to be meat, hence the addition of the word “loaf”, which is usually used for bread. It’s a meat product in the same way that American cheese is cheese product.
As for cheese alternatives made from plants, those are not allowed to be called cheese either. They are allowed to wear the names of the cheese varieties they aim to imitate, but it has to be accompanied by the word “style” and never by the word “cheese”, so you get things like “plant-based cheddar style slices” or “dairy-free mozzarella style shreds”.
Also fair. I won’t pretend I’m following USDA or whatever naming rules (the “uncured” labeling is bullshit - oh we didn’t use straight potassium nitrate - just celery juice which contains the potassium nitrate), just going with the general language trend I see. YMMV
I did conflate cheese that has built in emulsifiers, “american cheese”, with imitation cheese product (likely the plastic wrapped slices melted onto that dish) which also has emulsifiers and has lower fat content and isn’t as nice. That’s on me, my bad.
tongue-in-cheek, not really ragging it but: “oooooo chemicals” like salt? The potassium nitrate in cured/“uncured” meats? Sodium citrate, one of the most common additives to keep cheese emulsified, is often used in sausage making…and apparently blood banks if wikipedia is to be believed. I know there are horrible things put in processed foods, but “chemicals” is not a useful way to distinguish them. I apologize in advance if I’ve read a too-unfavorable slant into your use of the word chemical.
Fair enough, but in reality, it’s not always sodium citrate, as the FDA permits a whole variety of other emulsifying agents to be used:
I’m not a chemist so I can’t tell you how good are bad those are for your long term health but as far Kraft Singles are concerned, the choice appears to be sodium phosphate, not citrate.