Frequently asked questions

Do you have a question about our cheeses, or about how to apply for a job or are you interested in how our cheeses are made? If so, see our list of frequently asked or nutritional questions. If you cannot find your question, please feel free to contact us.

ERU Foodservice uses three types of packaging: ERU Cheese Spread, ERU Slices and ERU Portion Packs. To help you dispose of them correctly, we have drawn up the following overview.

Unfortunately, for safety and hygiene reasons, it is not possible to visit our factory.

On this website, you will find all the information, about our foundation in 1824, about ERU Goudkuipje and about our range as well as frequently asked questions about our cheeses.

Do ERU cheeses contain real cheese? Yes! We select the best cheeses for each flavour:

Gouda cheese

We make ERU Cheese Spread Gouda from first class Gouda cheese. Full flavoured and creamy soft. ERU Cheese Spread Gouda Light is made from 15+ cheeses with a dash of yoghurt. This cheese spread contains 5% fat but has the familiar creamy flavour of ERU.

24 month ripened mature cheese

ERU Cheese Spread Gouda Extra Aged and our portion pack ERU Prestige contain extra ripened Gouda cheese. Because the cheeses have ripened for at least 24 months, they have a deliciously strong flavour.

Roquefort A.O.P.

We make our ERU Cheese Spread Bleu and portion pack ERU Crème au Bleu from the ‘king of blue cheeses’, the Roquefort A.O.P. A cheese spread with the familiar flavour of blue cheese, but milder.

Creamy soft brie

We make our ERU Cheese Spread Brie and portion pack ERU Crème de Brie from creamy soft brie, melting the rind of the brie as well for optimal flavour.

Goat’s cheese

ERU Cheese Spread Chèvre and portion pack ERU Chèvre doux are made from the best goat’s cheese and have a deliciously mild flavour.

Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P

ERU Cheese Spread with Parmesan is a versatile cheese spread made from the best Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P. A creamy cheese spread with the familiar flavour of this classic Italian cheese. Ideal for adding flavour to sauces or dishes.

Organic Gouda 50+ cheeses

We make ERU Cheese Spread BioGouda and portion pack ERU Bio from first class organic Gouda cheeses. Besides our spreadable organic variant, we also have handy individually packed slices of organic cheese.

Cheddar

For our ERU Slices Cheddar, we use the best cheddar. Our individually packed cheddar slices melt easily and quickly and have a creamy soft texture. ERU Slices Cheddar is available in the flavours natural and sambal.

We also have several surprising flavour variants. Browse our range and discover the options.

We make our cheese spread from real cheese, which mainly requires milk. The milk is concentrated and pasteurised, after which rennet and a starter culture are added. The proteins, fats and minerals curdle and thicken the milk. The starter culture gives cheese a delicious flavour and ensures the cheese keeps for longer. When the milk is thick enough, it is cut into small white grains. This is called the curd, and from this moment it is cheese.

The cheese is then pressed into a cheese vat, where it hardens. When the cheese has been pressed for long enough, it goes into a brine bath. This adds a salty flavour to the cheese and helps preserve it. By ripening for at least 4 weeks, the cheese gets its cheese flavour. After the ripening process, the cheese is given a plastic protective layer, to prevent bacterial growth and drying out. The cheese is now ready.

But how does it become cheese spread?

We finely blend the finished cheese in our factory. We add water and emulsifying salts and perhaps extra ingredients like sambal. This is all put in an emulsifying mixer where we heat the mixture with steam until it is almost boiling. The cheese is then filled in a kilo packaging, portion pack or tub. Once the cheese has cooled, the cheese spread is ready!

When you are pregnant, you naturally wonder what you can and can’t eat, including our ERU cheeses. All our cheese spreads are pasteurised, so they are safe to eat during your pregnancy.

After opening, you can keep our cheeses in the fridge for another 7 days. Make sure that you always use clean cutlery to spread the cheese.

Some of our cheeses contain whey powder. If a product contains whey powder, this will be included in the list of ingredients on the packaging.

All our cheese spreads are pasteurised. Pasteurisation is a process which optimises the shelf life and keepability of perishable food products. This is done by briefly heating the food and destroying harmful bacteria, many of which are not resistant to high temperatures. The process obviously involves minimum change or damage to the product.

We have no lactose-free cheese. Some of our cheeses are very low in lactose such as ERU Cheese Spread Chèvre, ERU Cheese Spread Gouda Extra Aged, ERU Cheese Spread Brie and the portion packs ERU Chèvre doux, ERU Prestige and ERU Crème de Brie.

Most of the cheeses we use contain vegetarian (microbial) rennet, but some may contain animal rennet.

ERU Cheese Spread Chèvre, ERU Cheese Spread BioGouda, ERU Bio Slices and the ERU portion packs ERU Chèvre doux and ERU Bio are vegetarian. The cheeses we use in them contain vegetarian (microbial) rennet. Although many of the cheeses used contain vegetarian (microbial) rennet, some may contain animal rennet. For that reason, the cheeses listed above are the only ones we can call vegetarian. We can definitely guarantee that these cheeses only contain vegetarian (microbial) rennet.

Yes, our cheeses must be kept chilled in the fridge. This is the only way we can guarantee their best by date. It’s no problem if the cheeses are left out of the fridge for short periods, for example when making a sandwich. After you have finished, put the cheese back in the fridge as soon as possible.