thumb|upright=1.4|[[Provel cheese|Provel pizza cheese in a five-pound block. This product is commonly used in the preparation of St. Louis–style pizza.]]
Pizza cheese encompasses several varieties and types of cheeses and dairy products that are designed and manufactured for use specifically on pizza. These include processed and modified cheese, such as mozzarella-like processed cheeses and mozzarella variants. The term can also refer to any type of cheese suitable for use on pizza. denatured whey proteins Most are at least 95 percent mozzarella, with different moisture and fat densities. Low-moisture mozzarella can be formulated specifically for pizza. Cheese may be processed into blocks, from which the product can be grated, made into granules or sliced for use on pizza or other foods. Pizza cheese frequently consists of a blend of two or more cheeses, such as low-moisture mozzarella or provolone. Compared to standard mozzarella, low-moisture mozzarella has a firmer texture, is easier to grate, has better browning and melting characteristics, and is less perishable. Ricotta is used for calzones or as a topping. and designed to melt well and remain chewy are used on many mass-produced pizzas in North America and the United Kingdom. These products are referred to as analogue (or analog) pizza cheese; in the UK the term "cheese analogue" is used, making clear that it is not actually cheese. In the book Technology of Cheesemaking, editors Law and Tamimethat state that analogue pizza cheese appears to be the leading type of cheese analogue produced globally. Each year in the United States, 700 million frozen pizzas are sold, three-quarters of which contain cheese substitutes.
Analogue pizza cheeses may be formulated for processing with less sophisticated cheese-making equipment than is required for mozzarella cheese, such as using simple mixing and molding. They tend to have a soft texture and once melted, may have a slightly "stringy" quality when pulled or bitten into. They may lack fusion, i.e. shredded pieces might not flow together when they melt.
An example of a processed pizza cheese is Provel, which uses Cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses as flavorants. Some analogue types are made with casein, a by-product of milk, and vegetable oil, rather than milk fat. Casein-based mozzarella-like imitation processed cheeses prepared using rennet are also used as a mozzarella substitute on frozen pizzas. A study by Rudan and Barbano found that the addition of a thin layer of vegetable oil atop low- and reduced-fat pizza cheese increased meltability and reduced browning and dehydration when the product was cooked, but the texture remained overly chewy and tough. A study published in the International Journal of Food & Science Technology found that a 12.5:87.5 blend of vetch milk and cow milk improved stretchiness and melting characteristics. Vetch is a legume that has seeds which are similar to lentils. An experiment published in the International Journal of Dairy Technology suggested that the level of galactose, a monosaccharide sugar that is less sweet than glucose and fructose, can be reduced using different culture techniques. Some varieties derived from skim mozzarella variants were designed not to require aging or the use of fermentation starter. Others can be produced through the direct acidification of milk, which may be used in place of bacterial fermentation. In the U.S., several hundred million pounds of pizza cheese is consumed annually. It has been estimated that 30% of all pizza cheese used in the United States is mozzarella. As of 2000, demand for the product was growing in Europe by 8 percent per year. One such product is a frozen shredded cheese used for pizza that is created in a few hours from milk. Other U.S. companies also mass-produce pizza cheese, which is shipped in a frozen state. As of 2000, Glanbia is the largest producer of pizza cheese in Europe.
Use by region
Significant amounts of pizza cheese are used in Europe,