Why is good American cheese such an expensive commodity?

I can get Colby-Jack, Swiss, Provolone, Havarti, Muenster, Pepper Jack, and a variety of Cheddars (along with many others) at ridiculously low prices for slices. I got an 8oz. Package on sale for $1.79 not too long ago, and don't think I've ever paid over $2.50. But if I want American Cheese of an equal quality (none of the individually-wrapped crap that's not real cheese and tastes like plastic), it's $4.50 to get 8oz. of Kraft American Deluxe... or even $6.00 to get 8oz. of more premium brands...

And I don't get it.

American cheese that's real cheese is just a blend of cheeses mixed with sodium citrate to make it creamier. So why is it double the price? It seems absurd. But American cheese is the best-melting stuff you can buy for a burger, so I end up paying the price because nothing else quite compares.

And the Big Cheese Cartel knows that, so they are able to charge big money knowing people will pay it.

I should probably switch to Cheddar or Colby-Jack to save my hard-earned cash.