COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1081/96 of 14 June 1996 establishing a reference method for the detection of cows' milk and caseinate in cheeses made from ewes' milk, goats' milk or buffalos' milk or mixtures of ewes', goats' and buffalos' milk and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 690/92
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation No 804/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in milk and milk products (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2931/95 (2), and in particular Article 9 (3), Article 16 (1) and (4) and Article 17 (14) thereof,
Whereas aid for private storage of cheeses made from ewes' milk can be granted under Council Regulation (EEC) No 508/71 of 8 March 1971 laying down general rules on private storage aid for long-keeping cheeses (3); whereas a special refund for these same products can be decided under Article 17 of Regulation (EEC) No 804/68; whereas the import of cheeses made from ewes' milk, goats' milk or buffalos' milk or mixtures of ewes', goats' and buffalos' milk into the Community under preferential arrangements from certain third countries is foreseen;
Whereas, in view of the existence of the abovementioned provisions concerning cheeses made from ewes' milk, goats' milk or buffalos' milk or mixtures of ewes', goats' and buffalos' milk, it is necessary to verify by appropriate controls that no cows' milk has been incorporated into the products concerned; whereas it is appropriate to establish a Community reference method for the detection of cows' milk, without prejudice to the use of routine methods, if they comply with certain criteria;
Whereas a reference method applicable for cheeses made from ewes' milk, goats' milk or buffalos' milk or mixtures of ewes', goats' and buffalos' milk replaces the reference method described in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 690/92 (4), which can therefore be repealed;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The reference method of analysis figuring in the Annex shall be applied to ensure that cheese which must be made exclusively from ewes' milk, goats' milk or buffalos' milk or from a mixture of ewes', goats' and buffalos' milk does not in fact contain cows' milk casein.
Cows' milk casein shall be held to be present, if the apparent cows' milk casein content of the sample to be analysed is equal to or higher than the content of the reference sample containing 1 % cows' milk described in the Annex.
Article 2
Routine methods for the detection of cows' milk casein in cheeses referred to in Article 1 may be used under the following conditions:
- the detection limit must be 0,5 % or lower,
- false-positive results must not occur. If this cannot be excluded, any sample giving a positive result has to be analysed using the reference method,
- cows' milk casein must be detectable with the required sensitivity even after long ripening periods, as may occur under usual commercial conditions. If this requirement is not fulfilled for a certain type of cheese referred to in Article 1, that cheese must be analysed using the reference method.
Article 3
Regulation (EEC) No 690/92 is repealed. References to Regulation (EEC) No 690/92 shall be understood as references to the present Regulation.
Article 4
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall apply from 1 October 1996.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 14 June 1996.