Edam cheese wheels

Description

1. Product Overview

This product is a fully matured Edam cheese wheel, produced using traditional Dutch recipes and modern food safety protocols. It is primarily used as a raw material for further processing (shredding, portioning, melting) or as a finished private-label retail product. The key value proposition is its balanced fat-to-protein ratio, uniform texture, and extended shelf life, which reduce processing waste and inventory risk. Strategically, it meets growing global demand for semi-hard cheeses with predictable melting behavior in both industrial kitchens and automated packaging lines.

2. Key Specifications & Technical Characteristics

• Chemical composition: Fat in dry matter min. 45%; moisture max. 46%; protein min. 24%

• Purity grade: Grade A (no artificial fillers, rind intact, no surface cracks)

• Physical characteristics:

  • Form: Whole wheel, convex sides, flat top/bottom

  • Color: Pale yellow interior; red or yellow wax coating (food-grade paraffin + natamycin)

  • Weight per wheel: Approx. 1.9–2.1 kg

  • Density: ~1.08 g/cm³

• Packaging options:

  • Vacuum-sealed individual wheels in food-grade bags

  • Master cartons (6 wheels/carton)

  • Bulk shrink-wrapped pallets (120 wheels/pallet)

• Shelf life: 12 months at +2°C to +6°C (unopened, refrigerated)

3. Core Industrial Applications

• Primary industries: Large-scale food manufacturing, QSR chains, industrial bakeries, cheese processing plants, and export wholesale distributors.

• Specific use cases: Shredded cheese blends for pizza toppings; diced cheese for ready meals; melted cheese for sauces and soups; wax-coated wheels for long-duration shipping in tropical climates.

• Why it performs better: Uniform wheel geometry enables automated shredding without jamming; controlled aging minimizes free oil release during melting; wax coating eliminates the need for disposable inner packaging in secondary processing.

• Efficiency advantage: Lower moisture variation (±0.5%) reduces rework and reprocessing costs by up to 8% compared to non-standardized imports.

4. Competitive Advantages

• Quality consistency: In-line NIR testing every batch; 3rd-party microbiological and sensory audits.

• Supply reliability: Dedicated B2B production lines with 48-hour lead time confirmation for repeat orders.

• Logistics capability: Temperature-controlled containers with GPS tracking and pre-export inspection support.

• Price competitiveness: Direct-from-cooperative pricing, no broker margin; volume discounts from 20 MT.

• Sustainability: Whey waste repurposed into biogas powering production; compostable master cartons available upon request.

• Technical support: Full specification sheet, melt profile graph, allergen declaration, and batch traceability documentation included.

5. Commercial & Supply Information

• Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): BULK 20 metric tons (MT)

• Loading capacity per container: 24 MT per 40-foot refrigerated container (approx. 12,000 wheels)