Nedmag has found its northern Dutch partner in De Venehoeve for the artisanal production of Veendammer, a cheese enriched with their magnesium salt. It is a health benefit that this cheese contains less traditional salt and more minerals. Though most importantly, the makers have succeeded in developing a tasty product. 'For a tasty cheese, people come back and that is necessary to put Veendammer on the map nationwide,' says entrepreneur Ingmar Veneman.
We meet after three successful open days at De Venehoeve, a versatile farm in 2e Exloërmond. In the yard of the organic dairy farm, a brand new accommodation arose this year for Ingmar's cheese and dairy farm, to further professionalize and scale up. She and her team have been making cheeses and dairy products from fresh milk from their own cows since 2016. She previously sold these products - along with a wider organic range - in her farm store in Stadskanaal. Now everything comes together in a modern business building with an attractive store in its own yard: De Venehoeve new style, where this fall the Veendammer cheese together with Nedmag was also presented.
'As far as that cheese is concerned, everything comes together for us at De Venehoeve as well,' says Wilfred Lijnbach, sales manager Food at Nedmag. 'We had been looking for a Northern Dutch production partner for the Veendammer for some time, because this cheese is a wonderful example of flavorful foods with magnesium salt. Our product Novasal is promising for the food industry to meet salt reduction, fitting within the goals of the National Prevention Agreement. Traditionally used sodium salt can lead to high blood pressure when consumed in excess, among other things, while magnesium salt is a valuable mineral for health. Because of the different taste experience, Novasal cannot completely replace sodium salt, but depending on the food product, 30 to 40 percent is possible. That's already a nice health gain.'
Strengthening each other
Within the food industry, Wilfred focuses on using magnesium salt for a wide variety of products. 'Think especially of soups, meat, fish, tomato sauces, bread products and certainly cheese. Novasol does well with anything with umami, a full flavor that is also typical of aged cheeses. Together with partners, we had been researching the application of magnesium salt in cheese production for some time and a trial at cheese farm Slob in South Holland led to the development of Veendammer cheese. It was primarily a promotional product, but we were increasingly being asked where it was sold. For us reason to develop further with a Northern Dutch production partner and we found it in De Venehoeve, less than half an hour's drive from Veendam, beautifully situated on the edge of the fencolonies.'
That appropriate location is a bonus, but more important was a partnership with shared vision, trust and a click. In this, too, Nedmag and De Venehoeve found each other. Ingmar says: 'We immediately saw opportunities to strengthen each other and for us the timing was perfect. We had just made a major investment here to significantly modernize and scale up our cheese and dairy production. We want to distinguish ourselves even more strongly with unique products and the Veendammer is really something special that we see a future for. Nedmag had already done a lot of research, while we have a lot of experience with artisanal production. Working with fresh milk requires a different approach than in the factory. Here we are closer to the process and ensure the refinement that you can taste in the cheeses. Especially in the Veendammer'.
Artisanal touch
Cheesemaker Theo Wildeboer - who has worked at De Venehoeve since the spring - found it a nice process to fine-tune the Veendammer cheese with Nedmag. 'We were able to spar well and learn from each other. Their cheese specialist did research based on factory conditions, while we work traditionally. If you give ten cheesemakers the same recipe, ten cheeses will come out that taste slightly different. That's because they all have their own touch in the way they work. Every step in the process has an influence and working with magnesium salt influences that process as well. Cheese comes standard in a brine bath for flavor, maturation and shelf life. With magnesium salt, the effect is different and Nedmag had already developed an initial standard for that. Still, we adjusted the composition and the duration of the brine bath a bit more, to really do the cheese justice.'
Nedmag had already done a lot of research, while we have a lot of experience with artisanal production.
Ingmar Veneman, De Venehoeve
They can do that,' agrees Wilfred. 'At the annual Dairy Inspection North-East Netherlands in September both the cheese and the yoghurt and butter of De Venehoeve were awarded the gold certificate. The Veendammer has not yet competed, but has the same potential as far as we are concerned. The salt reduction is a unique advantage in this respect, although ultimately taste is the deciding factor, also for the consumer.' Ingmar nods. 'I said earlier: for a tasty cheese, people come back. That's why we didn't want to make any concessions to the taste of Veendammer.' For Theo it was immediately a nice challenge to achieve a good result with magnesium salt.'
Put on the map
How that turned out, people can taste for themselves. What we can already say is that magnesium salt makes the cheese a little more creamy. And the taste comes out best with mature or older cheeses, so they lie here after preparation in the cellar for at least sixteen weeks to mature.' While the first series of Veendammers is being flavored, the Venehoeve team is working in collaboration with Wilfred and his Nedmag colleagues from business development and marketing on the further development of other cheese varieties with magnesium salt as well as putting the Veendammer on the map. 'We are in talks with Udea, an organic food wholesaler with national coverage known for Ekoplaza. In the food industry it takes a long time to get in with something new, but with this cheese we really have something distinctive.
The fresh milk from which De Venehoeve prepares its organic cheeses and dairy products comes from its own Fleckvieh cows, which spend much of the year grazing outside on herb-rich pastures. Ingmar Veneman works with a team of 19 people in her cheese and dairy factory and farm store, which also includes people with a distance to the labor market. The upscaling and professionalization of the business were made possible in part by a LEADER grant. More information: www.devenehoeve.nl.
The magnesium salt that Nedmag has been extracting and processing for several decades is used for countless applications all over the world. Of the many markets in which the company operates - from agriculture and industry to health & wellness - the food industry is in the top three. To continue developing and improving the applications of the versatile magnesium salt, R&D occupies an important place at Nedmag. In total, some 150 people work at the company. More information: www.nedmag.nl.