Cheese lovers all have a slightly different definition of melt, says John Brody,
a technology principal and natural cheese specialist for Sargento Foods Inc. ,
a Plymouth, Wis. -based cheese maker. Some people feel cheese is melted
when it softens, for others "it has to bubble and flow," he says. In an effort to develop cheeses with an ideal melt, Mr. Brody’s team tweaks the
bacteria in cheese and the aging process. If a cheese is too young, it won’t melt
easily, Mr. Brody says. If it is aged too long, the protein and fat will separate quickly
when heated, leaving oily pools. When eating macaroni and cheese, people want a creamy melt, which is different
from the "tablecloth melt" on burgers, says Michelle Malone, research and
development group leader at Schreiber Foods Inc. , a large Green Bay, Wis. ,
producer of cheese for restaurants. The holy grail of melted cheese science might be making the perfect combination of
processed and natural cheese, one that melts smoothly without producing oil, but
"acts like a natural cheese," so it has more texture and stringiness, she says. The challenge of melting natural cheese smoothly has led many home and
restaurant cooks to use processed cheese on cheeseburgers or for dishes like
queso -- traditionally a mix of processed cheese, diced tomatoes and chilis. Processed cheese includes emulsifiers to stop protein separating from fat when
heated, giving it a smooth melt. Other ingredients are often added to extend shelf life
or achieve a particular color or flavor. Natural cheese is usually made of the same four primary ingredients: a lot of milk
with a little bit of bacteria cultures, enzymes and salt. A cheese’s living bacteria can
change the texture, flavor or how it melts. Excerpted from: "Why Melted Cheese Makes Everything Taste (and Sell) Better",
Sarah Nassauer, Feb. 5, 2014
Question:
Which of the following political policies would the author most likely support?
