Processed cheese goes through extra steps -- including emulsification, extra pasteurization, and often melting as outside ingredients get added in beyond the initial cultures and salt.

Cheddar cheese is named after the English village of Cheddar, where it was first created in the 11th century. The process of making cheddar is similar to that of other cheeses.

When they heated up the treated cheese, they noticed it melted better as well. But Chicago cheese salesman James L. Kraft was awarded the first patent for processed cheese in 1916.

Cheddar is “real” cheese, made from 100 percent cow’s milk that’s been coagulated with rennet, an enzyme that separates curds from whey. The only other ingredients that may be added to ...