The moisture content applies 12 days from the first day of preparation, with the exception of Baby Edam Holland, where it applies 5 days after the first day of preparation.

The other characteristic properties are as follows:

— Flavour: mild to piquant depending on age and type.

— Cross-section: must be uniform in colour with a few small round holes. Bros Edam has a large number of small holes. The colour of the cheese varies from ivory to yellow.

— Rind: the rind is firm, smooth, dry, clean and has no fungal flora. It is produced by drying during the maturing stage.

— Texture: young Edam Holland must be sufficiently firm and cuttable. Once the cheese has matured further, it becomes firmer and tighter in structure. Bros Edam must be sufficiently firm and hard.

— Maturing period: a minimum of 28 days (a minimum of 21 days for Baby Edam Holland). Edam Holland is a naturally matured cheese. Foil maturing is not permitted for Edam Holland.

— Maturing temperature: at least 12 °C.

— Age: the shelf-life varies from a minimum of 28 days after manufacture (Baby Edam Holland) to more than a year.

Edam Holland cheese is made from milk obtained from dairy farms in the Netherlands. The milk is cooled on the farm to a maximum of 6 °C and stored in a cooling tank on the farm. It is transported to the cheese factory within 72 hours. When it arrives at the cheese factory, it is either processed immediately or thermised (a non-pasteurising, light heat treatment) and put into cold storage for a short period of time before being turned into cheese milk. The fat content of the milk is standardised so that the fat/protein ratio is such that the cheese eventually produced has a fat content of between 40 % and 44 % fat in dry matter. The cheese milk is