Story Archive

New Hope for Humanity

Millennials (those born around 1980 to 2000) have been blamed for an awful lot of things, but now they’re getting credit: for dealing a death blow to “American Cheese” — a processed food that actually doesn’t meet the legal definition of cheese, even in America. Unlike earlier generations who just assumed anything offered in a grocery store was actual food, Millennials want real food, and actual cheese. Chains like Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and even Cracker Barrel are now offering actual cheese on their burgers, and sales of Kraft Singles and Velveeta have been slipping for five years. “I could buy preservative filled cheese and butter,” says Gayle Voss of Gayle V’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese in Chicago, Ill., but she uses small batch butterkäse. “The minute people bite into it, they know — because it’s so good.” But another Chicago joint owner disagrees. Scott Sax of Mini Mott burgers says he only uses American “cheese” because “There’s nothing pure or organic about it. The ingredients are very American.” (RC/Bloomberg) ...Which is the problem exactly.