Not sure what your exact question is, but.... I think you are referring to foods that are called "Cheese foods" and not just cheese? Such as fake cheese? Like Velveeta? And or, cheese "flavored" foods like Cheese Nips (crackers)? To be "cheese", I think it has to be a certain percentage of milk (cow, sheep, goat, whatever) and be processed using fermentation. OR are you asking what "type of food" is cheese? It is Dairy. Nutritionally, it is considered a fat and a protein (more fat).

I just got off the phone I borrowed fro Howie Mandel and he says it's cheese, no deal and I'm gonna pick briefcase # 12.

1) "For the record, cheese food does contain actual cheese. It may be a single type of cheese, or a mixture of cheeses, with other stuff such as milkfat, whey, dry milk, or preservatives added. For someting to be labeled cheese food, it must contain a minimum of 51% natural cheeses by weight. It also must have a moisture content of at least 44% and a milkfat content of at least 23% (at least in the US)." Source: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=cheese%20food 2) "Processed cheese, process cheese, or prepared cheese is a food product made from regular cheese and sometimes other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, food colorings and/or whey. Many flavors, colors, and textures of processed cheese exist. In the United States, the most recognizable variety of processed cheese is sold under the name American cheese, although this name also has other meanings. The name American cheese also has a legal definition as a type of pasteurized process cheese under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. The Laughing Cow is another type of processed cheese, showing the international reach of this product." "Due to the processing and additives, some softer varieties cannot legally be labeled as "cheese" in many countries, including the United States and Britain, and so are sold as "cheese food", "cheese spread", or "cheese product", depending primarily on the amount of cheese, moisture, and milkfat present in the final product." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_food

It was developed as a way to use second rate cheese, to keep it from going bad and inedible. They found by adding whey and water and then nonfat dry milk and some chemicals that it helps preserve it and also makes it melt reliably. So it is more artificial than processed cheese, down a rung from it. Processed cheese is a blend of fresh and aged natural cheeses that have been shredded, mixed and heated (pasteurized), after which no further ripening occurs. It melts easily when reheated. So on the scale of natural cheese being number 1 and then down the line, processed cheese is #2 and cheese food is #3.