Division Special quality criteria

When they reach and are stored by the cheese-maker, the milk, cream or semi-skimmed milk have undergone either no heat treatment at all or a non-pasteurising heat treatment.

The cream and the skimmed or semi-skimmed milk should undergo pasteurisation immediately before being made into Gouda Holland so as to meet the following criteria:

• phosphatase activity is undetectable, unless peroxidase activity is undetectable;

• acidity levels, for cream measured on the basis of the fat-free product, are no higher than 20 mmol NaOH per litre, unless the lactate content is 200 mg per 100 g of fat-free matter or less;

• no coliform micro-organisms are detectable in 0,1 ml.

Immediately before being made into Gouda Holland, all raw materials must be pasteurised in such a way that the undenatured whey protein content does not deviate or deviates only slightly from that of unpasteurised raw material of a similar type and quality. Only non-genetically modified cultures of lactic-acid-forming and aroma-forming micro-organisms may be added when manufacturing Gouda Holland. These cultures consist of appropriate mesophilic starter cultures for Gouda Holland: Lactococcus and Leuconostoc L or LD, possibly in combination with thermophilic Lactobacillus and/or Lactococcus cultures. The available cultures are protected. Their use is mandatory in the production of Gouda Holland.

Rennet: only calf rennet is used to manufacture Gouda Holland. It is only in special circumstances, for example if required as a result of epizootic disease, that it may be necessary to switch to other types of rennet. In that case, the rennet used must comply with the requirements of the Warenwetbesluit Zuivel [Dairy Products (Commodities Act) Decree].

The nitrite content of Gouda Holland, in terms of nitrite ions, is no higher than 2 mg per kg cheese.