Dairy
Meuse-Rhine-Issel
B tier
Meuse-Rhine-Issel (MRIJ) is a red-pied dual-purpose breed from the Netherlands and adjacent German borders, historically supplying milk with better solids than pure Holstein while finishing as useful beef. Milk flavour is full and clean, suited to Dutch cheese traditions. MRIJ milk works in Gouda-style vats and table milk. Numbers fell with Holstein specialisation, but remaining herds offer characterful dual-purpose dairy. Expect moderate yield and honest farmhouse quality.
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Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Butter MakingCheesemakingChilledCulturedFreshHomogenisedNon-HomogenisedPasteurisedSkimmedUHTWholeYoghurt
Traits
BalancedCheese CapableDutch Dual PurposeFullMilk and BeefMRIJRed PiedTraditional
History
NL
MRIJ type was formalised in the Meuse-Rhine-IJssel region.
NL
Dual-purpose MRIJ competed with specialised dairy breeds.
NL
Holstein expansion reduced MRIJ purebred numbers.
NL
Conservation and specialty cheese projects used MRIJ milk.