Kraft releases two new spins on its classic American singles

It can be hard to put a new spin on a longtime grocery store staple, but Kraft Singles seeks to do just that.

The brand is launching two new products nationwide this week that will make classic Kraft Singles available in “Ultra Thin” and “Ultra Thick” varieties, a rep confirmed to Eat this, not that! by email. It will be the first American cheese slice to feature different slice thickness options and marks the brand’s first “innovation” in the past decade, according to the company.

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Ultra Thin Slices still have the traditional taste of Kraft Singles, but as the name suggests, they are thinner. Because of this, Thin Slices contain 30% fewer calories than typical Kraft Singles and are sold in packs of 30 instead of 24. Meanwhile, Ultra Thin Slices are 50% thicker than regular Kraft Singles.

This is good news for anyone looking for the optimal (or cheese-adjacent) slice of cheese, or anyone who’s always thought traditional Kraft Singles were just a little too thick or a little too thin.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Even before arriving in these new varieties of slice thickness, Kraft Singles have always been an interesting product because of what they are, or perhaps more accurately, what they are not. Kraft describes its individually wrapped American slices as a “pasteurized prepared cheese product.” It doesn’t directly claim to be cheese, but cheddar cheese is first on the long list of ingredients for Kraft American Singles. Other ingredients on this list include skim milk, milk fat, milk protein concentrate and whey.

Kraft Singles were on our own list of cheese brands that use the lowest quality ingredients, alongside Kraft Parmesan, Cheez Whiz, Velveeta Shreds and Great Value American Singles. Still, that didn’t deplete the American cheese fan base as a whole. Americans in particular consume a lot of American cheese, devouring 5.32 billion pounds of product in 2021 alone, according to Statista.

And what Kraft Singles may lack in ingredient quality is competed by factors like its long shelf life, consistency, and the convenience of having individual servings on hand. The product even won top honors in a Eat this, not that! taste test of America’s finest cheeses, scoring points for its taste, melt factor and the nostalgia it invoked.

Zoe Strozewski