Velveeta is one of those culinary mysteries that bridges 
the gap between dairy and chemistry. While it tastes like 
cheese and lives near the cheese in the grocery store, the 
FDA actually requires it to be labeled as a "Pasteurized 
Prepared Cheese Product."

Essentially, it’s a shelf-stable blend of milk, fats, and emulsifying salts designed for one specific purpose: melting perfectly without breaking or getting oily.

Fascinatingly, Velveeta was actually invented in 1918 by Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company as a way to save broken cheese wheels. By grinding up the scraps and adding whey, he created a product that was "velvety"—hence the name. Kraft bought the brand in 1927, and the rest is nacho history.