Patent ID: 7592029

Claim:
A method of producing a cheese slice product from a cheese loaf, said method comprising: cutting at least one longitudinal incision a distance into the exterior surface of the cheese loaf to thereby create a plurality of loaf segments which are joined together by at least one unslit portion; and slicing the cheese loaf in a direction perpendicular to the at least one longitudinal incision, wherein slicing the cheese loaf includes cutting completely through the cheese loaf with spaced apart cuts provided along the entire the length of the cheese loaf to provide a plurality of separated cheese slices arranged side-by-side in the longitudinal direction, each separated slice having a plurality of slice segments which are defined by said at least one longitudinal incision, said plurality of slice segments in each cheese slice being joined together by at least one attachment portion and separable from the remaining slice segments in each cheese slice; wherein said cheese slices may easily be separated into slice segments by a consumer without the need for a cutting tool.