Canned cheese sauce is a popular convenience food item used for topping nachos, pasta, vegetables, and more. While undeniably tasty, the ingredient list can be extensive and full of hard-to-pronounce chemicals. This article will examine the typical ingredients found in canned cheese sauce.
Main Ingredients
The core ingredients in any cheese sauce, canned or homemade, are cheese and some type of liquid.
Cheese
Canned cheese sauces are usually made with cheaper, highly processed cheese or cheese byproducts. Common types include:
- Cheddar – Typically used in milder sauces. Provides rich, nutty flavor.
- American cheese – Made from a blend of cheeses for a smooth, creamy texture.
- Cheese whey – Watery byproduct of cheesemaking, provides tangy flavor.
- Cheese powder – Dehydrated cheese ground into a powdered form.
Using these cheaper cheese products helps keep costs down while still providing cheesy flavor. More expensive natural cheeses usually aren’t found in canned cheese sauces.
Liquid
The liquid provides moisture and binds the ingredients together into a smooth sauce. Common liquids include:
- Milk – Whole milk provides richness, while skim milk makes a lower-fat sauce.
- Water – Adds moisture without affecting flavor.
- Whey – Tangy liquid from cheesemaking.
- Vegetable or canola oil – Adds smooth, creamy texture.
Emulsifiers
Cheese and liquid alone can’t be simply mixed together into a stable, smooth sauce. Emulsifiers are required to suspend the fat and water molecules and create an emulsion. Common emulsifiers in canned cheese sauce include:
- Sodium phosphate – Helps water and fat molecules mix together smoothly.
- Polysorbate 80 – Emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.
- Mono- and diglycerides – Helps bind fat and water.
- Guar gum – Plant-based emulsifier that thickens the sauce.
Without these emulsifiers, the fat and water would quickly separate, leaving an unappetizing lumpy sauce.
Preservatives
Canned cheese sauce needs chemical preservatives to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life:
- Sodium citrate – Controls acidity and prevents bacterial growth.
- Sodium phosphate – Also acts as a preservative.
- Sorbic acid – Antimicrobial preservative.
- Calcium disodium – Helps protect against microbial spoilage.
Preservatives give canned cheese sauces a shelf life of 9-12 months unopened.
Acids
Acids like citric acid are sometimes added to balance pH levels and add tangy flavor:
- Citric acid – Provides sharp, tangy taste.
- Lactic acid – Gives a tangy flavor and aids preservation.
- Acetic acid – Adds a vinegar-like tartness.
The acids impart a characteristic sharp cheese flavor and also help control the finished sauce’s pH level.
Thickeners
Thickeners give canned cheese sauce a viscous, creamy texture:
- Modified food starch – Thickens and stabilizes the sauce.
- Xanthan gum – Plant-based thickener.
- Guar gum – Also used as an emulsifier.
- Cornstarch – Traditional thickening agent.
Without thickeners, the sauce would have a thin, watery consistency.
Colors
The rich yellow hue of cheese sauce comes from added coloring:
- Annatto – Natural yellow food coloring.
- Beta-carotene – Orange pigment that provides yellow/orange hues.
- Paprika – Dried spice adds vibrant yellow-orange color.
- Turmeric – Bright yellow spice commonly used in cheeses.
This coloring gives the sauce an appetizing cheese-like appearance.
Flavors & Seasonings
For flavor enhancement, canned cheese sauce may contain:
- Butter – Provides richness.
- Cream – Adds smooth, creamy dairy flavor.
- Whey protein concentrate – Boosts cheesy taste.
- Onion/garlic powder – Provides savory notes.
- Mustard – Adds tangy flavor.
- Spices – Sprinkling of cayenne, nutmeg, etc may be included.
These ingredients help make up for the loss of flavor from using cheaper cheese products.
Salt
Like most processed foods, canned cheese sauce is high in sodium. Added salt improves flavor. A 1/4 cup serving may contain around 350-400mg of sodium.
Preparation
Commercial canned cheese sauce production involves these key steps:
- The liquid ingredients like milk and water are combined and heated.
- Emulsifying salts are added and dissolved.
- The cheese products are shredded and added gradually while stirring.
- Other dry ingredients like thickening agents and spices are whisked in as the sauce thickens.
- Once a smooth consistency is reached, preservatives, colors, and flavors are blended in.
- The finished sauce is packed into cans, sealed, and heat processed for sterilization.
Proper pasteurization and sealing ensures a long shelf stable product.
Nutrition Facts
Here is the nutrition information for a typical 1/4 cup serving of canned cheese sauce:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 100 |
| Fat | 6g |
| Saturated Fat | 4g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 15mg |
| Sodium | 400mg |
| Carbohydrates | 6g |
| Fiber | 0g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Protein | 4g |
As you can see, canned cheese sauce is high in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It provides calories mainly from fat and carbs, with little protein or fiber.
Health Concerns
With its long list of chemical additives and poor nutrition profile, canned cheese sauce can raise some health concerns:
- High in sodium – Can increase blood pressure.
- High in saturated fat – May raise cholesterol levels.
- Preservatives – Controversy over potential effects of things like sodium phosphate.
- Emulsifiers – Some concern over digestive issues with compounds like polysorbate 80.
- Food colorings – Dyes like annatto may cause allergic reactions.
- Low in nutrients – Almost no protein, fiber, vitamins or minerals.
Due to these issues, canned cheese sauces are best consumed only occasionally as part of an overall healthy diet.
Alternatives
For a more nutritious cheese sauce, try these alternatives:
- Make it from scratch – Grate real cheese into a béchamel sauce base.
- Use reduced-fat milk and low-fat cheese.
- Replace oil with avocado or Greek yogurt for creaminess.
- Boost nutrition with pureed cauliflower or butternut squash.
- Flavor with spices instead of salt.
- Skip artificial coloring and embrace the natural hue.
Homemade cheese sauces let you control exactly what goes into them.
Conclusion
Canned cheese sauces may be convenient, but a peek at the ingredients list makes it clear you pay a nutritional price for that convenience. Loaded with emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, colors and fat, cheese in a can is a highly processed food. Opting for homemade cheese sauces gives you better nutrition and flavor. But the occasional indulgence in canned cheese sauce as part of an overall healthy pattern is fine too. Just be mindful of how much you consume.