Gouda Snacks Added to FrieslandCampina Line

FrieslandCampina showcased its new Gouda Snacks and its cracker cuts in Gouda and Maasdam at IDBBA in June in New Orleans, Louisiana, said Debbie Seife, Marketing Director, North America.

The Gouda Snacks are 20-gram individual easy-peel snacks, packaged eight to a gusseted resealable bag with a peg hole for easy retailer display. Consumers will find them in the deli case with other traditionally imported products, with a suggested retail price of $3.99 to $4.99.

The cracker cuts come in a seven-ounce package, laid out on a tray with a peel-and-reseal top in two rows of cheese. They ship in a display-ready case, making it easy for consumers to select. Suggested retail for the cracker cuts is also $3.99 to $4.99.

Some customers may not be familiar with Maasdam cheese, Seife said. It’s a semi-firm cheese with big Swiss-like eyes, a creamy texture and sweet, buttery flavor. It melts well, making it good for cooking as well as snacking. Like Gouda, it is named for a city in Holland.

FrieslandCampina is a company with long traditions, she said. Based in Amersfoort, the company has more than 18,600 owners and more than 23,000 employees in offices in 34 countries. The company exports to more than 100 countries, and had sales of $14 billion last year, Seife said.

Until recently, the company specialized in whole and large blocks of cheese sold wholesale, so these new products represent a shift in the company’s retail approach. “We’ve been shipping cheese to the U.S. for almost 50 years,” Seife said. “We’re not new to the U.S., but the focus wasn’t the thing that it is today. Now we’re focused on value-added branded items and growing our Dutch portfolio.”

In addition to wheels of mild, medium and aged Gouda and wheels of Maasdam, the company also makes Edam, sold in its traditional red-wax ball, and a line of five beechwood-smoked Gouda items.

It also sells shaved goat cheese, aged for 20 weeks, in a different form than the more familiar crumbles, Seife said. “It has a really delicious flavor and a slightly crumbly texture. You can use it in salads, soups, over pasta and on flatbreads.”

For more information about FrieslandCampina, visit www.frieslandcampina.com or call its offices in Paramus, New Jersey, at 551.497.7300.