Ingredients
A 1953 ad in Kraft Foods’ home city, Chicago, included a label illustration listing the product’s original ingredients: “American Cheese, Water, Nonfat Dry Milk Solids, Condensed Whey, Sodium Phosphate, Cream, Worcestershire Sauce, Lactic Acid, Mustard, Salt, U.S. Certified Color--Moisture 52%, Milkfat 28%.”[6][7]
In 1958 (U.S.) national advertising, the ingredient list (on product label) was very similar: “American Cheese, Water, Condensed Whey, Nonfat Dry Milk, Sodium Phosphate, Cream, Salt, Lactic Acid, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard, Artificial Color--Moisture 52%, Milkfat 20%”[8]--and 1964's was identical,[9] as was 1972's.[10] Canada's ingredients weren't necessarily identical; for 1975 they were listed as "Canadian Cheese, Water, Milk Solids, Butter, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard Flour, Sorbic Acid, Natural Color."[11]
As of 2016, Kraft describes Cheez Whiz as a "cheese dip" with the word cheese spelled correctly. According to a Kraft spokesman, the product does include cheese, but the company has chosen to list its parts—such as cheese culture and milk—instead of cheese as a component itself. "Ingredients: whey, milk, canola oil, maltodextrin, milk protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of modified food starch, salt, lactic acid, whey protein concentrate, mustard flour, Worcestershire sauce (vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices (contains celery), tamarind, natural flavor), sodium alginate, sorbic acid as a preservative, color added, cheese culture, enzymes, natural flavor[12]"
