Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2020/C 64/13)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘BRIE DE MEAUX’

EU No: PDO-FR-00110-AM01 – 26 September 2018

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Name: Union interprofessionnelle de défense, de gestion et de contrôle du Brie de Meaux et du Brie de Melun [Inter-professional union for the defence, management and control of Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun]

Address: 13 rue des Fossés – 77000 Melun, FRANCE

Tel. +33 164371392/Fax +33 164870427

Email: odgbriemeauxmelun@gmail.com

Composition: The group is made up of milk producers, farmers, processors and maturers of ‘Brie de Meaux’. It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendments.

2. Member State or third country

France

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

☐ Product name

☒ Description of product

☒ Geographical area

☒ Proof of Origin

☒ Production process

☒ Link

☒ Labelling

☒ Other: contact details of the inspection body and the applicant group, national requirements.

4. Type of amendment(s)

☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

☐ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

5.1. Description of the product

The sentence:

‘Brie de Meaux’ is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk, with surface moulds.

is replaced by the sentence:

‘Brie de Meaux’ is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk. ’

The sentence:

‘“Brie de Meaux” has a fine, white rind with red patches or streaks and a uniform paste. ’

is replaced by the sentence:

‘“Brie de Meaux” has a fine, white “bloomy” rind with red patches or streaks, and a uniform paste. ’

The appearance of the product is described more precisely by stating that the ‘Brie de Meaux’ has a ‘bloom’, linked to the development of Penicillium candidum, rather than ‘surface moulds’ which may be observed on other types of cheese.

This sentence is also added in the Single Document replacing the sentence ‘Soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk, rind covered with a fine white mould-type down [...]’ from the summary.

The sentence:

‘It is in the shape of a flat cylinder measuring approximately 36 cm in diameter and 2,5 cm in thickness.’

is replaced by the sentence:

‘It is in shape of a flat cylinder. The cheese is moulded in cylindrical moulds with an internal diameter of 36 to 37 centimetres.’

The dimensions of the cheeses sometimes proved to be inaccurate due to the deformation of the cheeses during maturation. It is therefore added that the size is that of the inside diameter of the moulds and a range of values is defined instead of the two disjoint values: ‘from 36 to 37 centimetres’. The thickness of the cheeses (2,5 centimetres) is deleted because their height depends on the ratio of the diameter and the weight of the cheeses, so this clarification is not necessary.

This sentence is also added in the Single Document to replace the words ‘flat cylinder’ in the summary.

The concept of ‘uniform cream shade’ is deleted because the colour of the paste varies from the centre to the rind, so it is not uniform. Moreover, the colour is not constant; it may vary according to the season and depending on the cows’ feed.

The following paragraph is added:

‘At four weeks of maturation, “Brie de Meaux” is a quarter-aged cheese (i.e. at least a quarter of its full size). It has a lactic flavour and may be slightly salty with a hint of bitterness. Between four and six weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, moving from a brittle to a supple consistency. Its aroma develops gradually. After six to eight weeks, the “Brie de Meaux” is fully mature and supple in consistency; it has a subtle aroma of cream, butter and hazelnut. ’

The appearance of the paste is described in line with the ageing stage of the cheese.

— The consistency changes from brittle (cheese at four weeks) to supple (cheese at six to eight weeks)

— With regard to the organoleptic criteria, at the end of the minimum maturation period (four weeks), the ‘Brie de Meaux’ has a lactic flavour and may be slightly salty with a hint of bitterness. Between four and six weeks, its aroma develops gradually. After six to eight weeks, it has a subtle aroma of cream, butter and hazelnut.

This paragraph has also been added to the Single Document.

The sentence:

‘It contains 45 % fat and 44 % dry matter’

is replaced by the sentence:

‘It contains at least 45 grams of fat per 100 grams of total dry matter and at least 44 grams of dry matter per 100 grams of cheese for marketing. ’

The fat content is expressed in grams per 100 grams of cheese in the dry matter instead of a percentage. Similarly, the dry matter content is expressed in grams of dry matter per 100 g of cheese instead of a percentage. It is also stated that these rates are minimum standards to be observed at the marketing stage, in order to clarify the conditions for checks.

This sentence has also been added to the Single Document.

The sentence:

‘It weighs around 2,6 kg [...]’

is replaced by the sentence:

‘It weighs between 2,6 kg and 3,3 kg. ’

This range takes into account the marketing of ‘Brie de Meaux’ at different stages of maturation. The more mature the cheese, the more it loses water, so its weight decreases. Below 2,5 kg, it is too dry and no longer displays the characteristics of the PDO. It is no longer specified that the weight relates to cheeses ‘after four weeks’ because this parameter is implicit insofar as the minimum maturation period of ‘Brie de Meaux’ is four weeks.

This sentence is also added in the Single Document to replace the ‘2,6 kg average weight’.

The following sentence is added:

‘“Brie de Meaux” may be segmented only into halves or triangular portions (cut from the centre to the rind) at the end of the minimum four-week maturation period. ’

‘Brie de Meaux’ is rarely sold whole to the final consumer because it is a large cheese. Segmentation rules are added to ensure that traditional cutting practices are respected, namely that each piece has an edge of the rind (heel), thereby recalling the rounded shape and format of the cheese. It is further specified that it may only be segmented at the end of the minimum four-week maturation period.

This sentence has also been added to the Single Document.

5.2. Geographical area

The list of municipalities in the geographical area is added in order to facilitate checks. This list covers all the municipalities in the geographical area in which all the stages of milk production, cheese-making and maturation can be carried out, on the basis of the 2017 French Official Geographic Code.

5.3. Proof of origin

The producers’ obligations as regards declarations are added. These amendments are linked to changes in national rules and legislation. They include:

— an identification of the producers for authorisation recognising their ability to meet the requirements of the specification;

— a paragraph on keeping records and documents on traceability;

— the necessary declarations for understanding and monitoring production;

— a paragraph on the checks carried out on the characteristics of products intended to be marketed as a designation of origin.

5.4. Description of the production method

Milk production conditions

Paragraphs on livestock, housing, coarse fodder, concentrates and dietary autonomy (feed and maintenance of forage areas) are added to the specification in order to record traditional practices.

Livestock

The definition of the dairy herd is added, as follows: all the dairy cows on the holding, including weaned heifers and dry cows. This definition is intended to clarify which animals are referred to when the term ‘dairy herd’ is used in the specification, to avoid any confusion and facilitate checks.

The composition of the dairy herd is added, as follows: at least 80 % of the animals must be born on the holding or come from dairy herds in the geographical area in order to ensure that the cows are best suited to the local livestock-rearing conditions (rearing on straw, type of rations) and for the processing of raw milk. The requirement that for heifers to have a minimum five-month grazing period in the geographical area after weaning and before their first lactation also helps ensure that the cows are well suited.

Housing

It is added that the use of straw for dairy cows’ bedding is compulsory, because bedding dairy cows on straw is a traditional practice in the geographical area. This type of housing supports a microbial ecosystem that influences the natural flora of the raw milk, which in turn contributes to the specificity of the ‘Brie de Meaux’. Minimum quantities for the supply of straw are added in order to guarantee the quality of the bedding (0,5 kg per cow per day in free stalls, 5 kg in open housing). The straw is stored under shelter in order to preserve its quality.

Feed for dairy cows

The definition of the total ration is added, as follows: ‘all coarse fodder (basic ration) and concentrates distributed’ to allow for a better understanding of the provisions of the specification during checks.

It is added that 85 % of the dry matter in the herd’s total ration must come from the geographical area and 60 % from the holding itself, as the Brie producers traditionally use the by-products of their own main crops (cereals, beet) and those of the geographical area.

This provision is added under paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

The holdings are mixed-crop/livestock farms and thus have a variety of crops that can be used to feed the herd. However, concentrated nitrogen feed sources are often insufficient to cover the needs of lactating dairy cows. The farmers can thus use feed that is not from the area for a maximum of 15 % of the dry matter in the total ration.

The local cows’ feed system is based on a diversified basic ration with an emphasis on the by-products of the holding and the geographical area. The following is added:

— the list of authorised fodder (pasture grass, distributed fresh or preserved in the form of silage, hay, wrapped or dried; immature legumes and cereals, distributed fresh or preserved in the form of silage; maize and sorghum distributed fresh, preserved in the form of silage or dried; dregs of cereals; fodder beet and other roots and tubers, and fresh, pressed or dried pulps thereof; straw from cereals, legumes and oilseeds)

— the basic ration must be composed of at least three constituents, including two mandatory components: the fresh or preserved grass (4 kg of dry matter per dairy cow in production per day, 2 kg of which must be from a fodder legume) and beet pulp or fodder beet (minimum 2 kg of dry matter).

This provision is added under paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

It is added that the main feed may not exceed 60 % of the basic ration of dry matter, except in the case of grass. This is added to ensure a diversified basic ration.

This provision is added under paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

When conditions allow, this basic ration may be replaced by grazing for at least 150 days per year with at least 20 ares available for each dairy cow in production. Outside the grazing period, the basic ration must comprise at least 3 kg grass-based dry matter and the main feed must not exceed 70 % of the basic ration, in dry matter, except in the case of grass.

This provision is added under paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

It is added that the share of concentrated feed is limited to 2 000 kg of dry matter per dairy cow per year to emphasise the place of fodder in the dairy cows’ feed and thus strengthen the link with the geographical area.

This provision is added under paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

A list of authorised concentrates and their means of distribution is added:

— Cereal grains and products derived thereof

— Legume seeds and products derived thereof

— Oil seeds, oil fruits, and products derived thereof

— Beet molasses or sugar cane

— Whey (for farm-based producers only)

— Nutritional additives, except rumen-protected methionine, urea and derivatives thereof

— Zootechnical additives.

Maintenance of forage areas

It is added that the sowing of transgenic crops on all areas of a holding producing milk intended for processing into cheese with a ‘Brie de Meaux’ designation of origin is prohibited (this prohibition applies to any plant species likely to be given as feed to animals on the holding, and to all crops likely to contaminate them). This makes it possible to maintain the link with the geographical area and emphasise the traditional character of the feed (60 % of the dry matter in the herd’s total ration of the herd must come from the holding).

The conditions for spreading organic manure are added (a minimum of 30 days between organic fertilisation and mowing or grazing of grassland, 21 days in the case of compost, monitoring of the quality of manure of non-agricultural origin, conditions for the spreading of organic manure of non-agricultural origin). This is to avoid any risk of contamination because ‘Brie de Meaux’ is made from raw milk.

Production conditions

Paragraphs on the milk used, the cheese-making process (renneting, moulding, draining, salting, drying/exudation), transport before maturation, refining and shipping are added to the specification.

A section is also added to this part to describe the techniques used to produce ‘Brie de Meaux’. It aims to clarify the practices that reflect the know-how of operators while regulating the target values in order to ensure the specific characteristics of the product.

Milk used

A maximum time limit for the collection of milk is added: collection every 48 hours at most, 36 hours between the collection of milk and seeding it [with Penicillum candidum], since this cheese is made exclusively from raw milk and the milk quality deterioration must be limited.

The following is added:

— The fat content of the raw cow’s milk used is standardised through partial skimming of the milk at a maximum of 40 °C;

— the milk is matured in the form of a pre-maturation and/or a maturation process. The length of pre-maturation is less than 48 hours at a maximum temperature of 22 °C . No more than 3 % of the volume of milk used in the production process may be seeded. The maturation phase lasts for less than 2 hours at a maximum temperature of 37 °C.

— In addition to the raw dairy materials, the following ingredients are authorised: rennet, bacterial cultures, yeasts, moulds, the safety of which has been proven, calcium chloride and salt.

— It is forbidden to use the following types of milk:

— recombinant, reconstituted, diluted, and in particular the addition of milk powder is prohibited except for the starter cultures,

— concentrated in whole or in part, whatever the process (ultrafiltration, microfiltration or other method). The addition of proteins is also prohibited; the milk used can only be raw milk with its fat content standardised by means of skimming.

Milk powder starter cultures may be added, provided the proportion added does not exceed 3 % of the volume of milk used in the production process.

Seeding with thermophilic culture is prohibited, as this would affect the organoleptic characteristics of the ‘Brie de Meaux’.

These derive from the know-how and current practices of the makers of ‘Brie de Meaux’.

Processing

The following is added:

— Storing the raw materials and cheeses being made in minus temperatures or in a modified atmosphere is prohibited to safeguard the characteristics of ‘Brie de Meaux’.

— Traditional materials (wood, straw, rushes) are authorised for the cheese-making and maturation stages (this concerns in particular the boards or mats used for draining the cheeses and turning them over during maturation).

— The reference for the calculation of the cheese-making and maturation periods is added: this is the renneting date.

Renneting

The sentence:

‘The milk may only be heated once, and only at the time of renneting, to a temperature of maximum 37 °C.’

is replaced by the sentence:

‘The milk is curdled at a temperature of not more than 37 °C’.

In practice, the milk is first heated to allow it to be skimmed and then heated again for renneting. The provision that the milk may only be heated once, which was primarily intended to conserve the rawness of the milk, has thus been deleted. The heating temperature remains less than or equal to 40 °C so that the milk used is still raw.

The target values for renneting (pH less than 6,5 or acidity greater than 19 °D, milk temperature less than or equal to 37 °C, coagulation time of less than 2 hours) are added as they describe the typical ‘Brie de Meaux’ technique.

Likewise, the nature of the rennet is added. It is of bovine origin, which means that rennet of vegetable or microbial origin may not be used. The doses used are also added: a maximum dose of 28 mg per 100 l of milk and a maximum chymosin strength of 750 mg/l.

Moulding

It is added that the curd is obtained in a basin and that it cannot be the subject of any external action, except for vertical slicing or sabrage and moulding in the traditional perforated ladle known as a ‘pelle à brie’ which is equivalent to horizontal slicing. When it is cut by sabrage, the indication ‘with a single blade’ is removed as it is not necessary, since by definition sabrage means cutting with a single blade or sabre.

The target value associated with this stage is explained in order to better describe it: the distance between two lines of vertical slicing is at least one centimetre. The ban on pumping is deleted, since the description of the moulding stage means that this clarification is not useful.

A limit of 15 minutes between the slicing and the beginning of moulding is added to replace the qualitative expression ‘before the whey rises’, in order to make the checks more objective.

It is also added that the moulding of a basin of curd cannot be interrupted: the purpose of this is to limit the draining into the basin of the curd, which may affect the characteristics of the cheese, in particular its cohesion. For that purpose, it is further added that the manual moulding in fine layer upon layer in the traditional perforated ladle must be carried out in only one stage or with only one refill. In other words, the ladle may only be topped up once, once the cheese has begun to drain in the mould.

The description of the ‘pelle à brie’ traditional perforated ladle is added to describe this traditional tool, a kind of round skimmer with a diameter of between 28 and 32 cm, perforated in order to allow the whey to flow through. It is characterised by its handle that comes up from the round edge of the tool and turns in towards its centre.

Draining

The conditions for draining the cheese are added: the moulds are placed on a platter covered with a ‘caget’ [a small mat on which the cheeses are placed for draining and maturing], at a temperature of not more than 30 °C. The cheeses must be turned at least twice to promote their natural drainage.

Salting

The pH value of the cheese 24 hours after its removal from the mould is added. This value may not exceed 4,9, which makes it possible to ensure the composite lactic character and quick renneting time of ‘Brie de Meaux’.

Transport before maturation

It is added that cheeses made less than seven days ago may be sent to cheese maturers. The conditions of transport are added to ensure that this does not overly interrupt the cheeses’ development: at plus temperatures of up to 12 °C within 24 hours of transport. Any journey longer than 24 hours must be added to the minimum four-week maturation period.

Maturation

It is added that the minimum four-week maturation period is counted from the date of renneting, rather than from the day of manufacture. This is more precise for the purposes of ensuring that the checks are objective.

The maturation conditions are defined in accordance with current practices.

— Maturation is divided into two stages: pre-maturation and maturation.

— Each phase is marked by a temperature range (between 8 °C and 16 °C for pre-maturation, between 4 °C and 14 °C for maturation), humidity (controllable humidity for the pre-maturation period, between 80 % and 98 % for maturation) and duration (less than 21 days for pre-maturation, at least until the minimum maturation period for the maturation phase).

— The cheeses are turned at least once a week to ensure a uniform development of the cheese’s bloomy rind.

— The cheese is matured ’bare’ (i.e. it may not be matured in a carton or box) at least until it has reached the minimum maturation age, in order to create the conditions conducive to the development of the bloomy rind and allow the evolution of the cheeses to be monitored.

— Manual handling of the cheeses in the cellar allows the utmost care to be taken, since their flat shape makes them fragile.

Dispatch

It is added that the cheese may not be packaged before the end of the minimum maturation period and not more than 10 days before dispatch from the maturation facility in order to guarantee the optimum maturation conditions for the development of the aromas of ‘Brie de Meaux’, since this is matured in a traditional manner, that is to say bare of all packaging, in the maturation cellar, unlike more industrial Brie cheeses which are packaged as soon as the rind has bloomed and are further processed in chilled rooms. It is added that ‘Brie de Meaux’ is packaged wrapped in paper or plastic film, that it may or may not be on a bed of straw, and that it is dispatched in a carton or box or in a wooden crate or delivery crate. The packaging used must make it possible to handle the cheese without breaking it.

These rules are added to point 3.5 of the Single Document ‘Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to’

5.5. Link

The link is entirely rewritten to make the link between ‘Brie de Meaux’ and its geographical area clearer, without altering the substance of the link itself. Particular emphasis is on how the milk production conditions allow the use of raw milk suitable for cheese making, which requires specific know-how and maturation conditions. The point on the ‘Specificity of the geographical area’ reiterates the geographical area’s natural and human factors, summarising historical aspects and highlighting relevant specific know-how. The point on the ‘Specificity of the product’ showcases some of the elements introduced in the description of the product. Finally, the point ‘Causal link’ explains the interactions between the natural and human factors and the product.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

5.6. Labelling

The reference to the INAO logo is deleted.

The following sentence is added: ‘The labelling of “Brie de Meaux” includes:’

— the designation

— the European Union’s PDO logo.’

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

It is added that the name of the designation must be written in characters of a size at least two-thirds of the largest characters of the label, so that the name of the trade mark is not overemphasised to the detriment of the name of the designation.

It is added that where the brand name is not that of the cheese maker or maturer, the name of the maker or the maturer should feature on the labelling for the purposes of product traceability and consumer information.

It is added that the use of any term or other reference accompanying the name of the designation of origin is prohibited, with the exception of specific trademarks, to prevent fraudulent allegations that could deceive consumers about the characteristics of ‘Brie de Meaux’.

5.7. Other

The address of the competent service of the Member State is updated.

The name and contact details of the group are updated.

Under the heading on references to the inspection bodies, the name and contact details of the official bodies are updated. In that section are provided the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections, i.e.: the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). It is added that the name and contact details of the certification body can be consulted via the INAO website and the European Commission’s database.

As regards the section on national requirements, a table displaying the main points to be checked and the method of evaluating them is added.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘BRIE DE MEAUX’

EU No: PDO-FR-00110-AM01 – 26 September 2018

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Brie de Meaux’

2. Member State or third country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Brie de Meaux’ is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk.

The maturation period is at least four weeks from the date of renneting.

The cheese takes the form of a flat cylinder. It is moulded in cylindrical moulds with an internal diameter of 36 to 37 centimetres. ‘Brie de Meaux’ has a fine, white crust or ‘bloom’ strewn with red patches or streaks, and a uniform paste.

At four weeks of aging, ‘Brie de Meaux’ is a quarter-aged cheese (i.e. at least a quarter of its full size). It has a lactic flavour and may be slightly salty with a hint of bitterness. Between four and six weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, moving from a brittle to a supple consistency. Its aroma develops gradually. After six to eight weeks, the ‘Brie de Meaux’ is fully mature and supple in consistency; it has a subtle aroma of cream, butter and hazelnut.

It contains at least 45 grams of fat per 100 grams of total dry matter and at least 44 grams of dry matter per 100 grams of cheese for marketing.

A full wheel of the cheese weighs between 2,6 and 3,3 kilograms.

The ‘Brie de Meaux’ may be divided into halves or triangular portions (cut from the centre to the rind) at the end of the minimum four-week maturation period.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

At least 85 % of the dry matter in the total ration of the dairy herd comes from the geographical area, and at least 60 % of that comes from the farm itself.

The holdings are mixed-crop/livestock farms and thus have a variety of crops that can be used to feed the herd. However, concentrated nitrogen feed sources are often insufficient to cover the needs of lactating dairy cows. The farmers can thus use feed that is not from the area for a maximum of 15 % of the dry matter in the total ration.

The basic ration of dairy cows in production comprises at least 3 constituents. It consists of at least 2 kg of dry matter produced from beet or fodder beet pulp and at least 4 kg of grass-based dry matter, of which at least 2 kg is from a fodder legume.

The main feed may not exceed 60 % of the basic ration of dry matter, except in the case of grass.

This 3-constituent rule does not apply for dairy cows in production put out to pasture, provided that the following conditions are met:

— Grazing season: The dairy cows in production are put out to pasture at least 150 days per year. The pasture area per dairy cow is at least 20 ares.

— Outside the grazing season: the basic ration must include a minimum of 3 kilograms of dry grass-based material. The main feeding stuff may not exceed 70 % of the basic ration, in dry matter, unless it is grass.

The annual concentrated feed intake is limited to 2 000 kilograms of dry matter on average per dairy cow in production.

3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The milk is produced and the cheese made and matured in the geographical area.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Packing before dispatch may not take place until at least four weeks from the date of renneting. The cheese must be dispatched from the workshop within 10 days of packaging (packaging, labelling and presentation of cheese for sale).

‘Brie de Meaux’ is packaged wrapped in paper or plastic film and it may or may not be on a bed of straw. It is dispatched in a carton or box or in a wooden crate or delivery crate.

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The name of the designation of origin must be written in characters at least two-thirds the size of the largest characters on the label.

Where the brand name is not that of the cheese maker or maturer, the name of the maker and the place where it was made or the name of the maturer and the place of maturation are written on the label.

The use of any term or other reference accompanying the designation of origin is prohibited on the labelling and in advertising, invoices or commercial documents, with the exception of specific trademarks.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Department of Aisne (2): Chezy-sur-Marne;

Department of Aube (10):

Arrondissement of Nogent-sur-Seine: all municipalities;

Allibaudieres, Arcis-Sur-Aube, Arrembecourt, Aubeterre, Aulnay, Avant-Les-Ramerupt, Bailly-Le-Franc, Balignicourt, Betignicourt, Blignicourt, Braux, Brillecourt, Chalette-Sur-Voire, Champigny-Sur-Aube, Charmont-Sous-Barbuise, Chaudrey, Chavanges, Coclois, Courcelles-Sur-Voire, Dampierre, Dommartin-Le-Coq, Donnement, Dosnon, Feuges, Grandville, Herbisse, Isle-Aubigny, Jasseines, Joncreuil, Lassicourt, Le Chene, Lentilles, Lesmont, Lhuitre, Longsols, Magnicourt, Mailly-Le-Camp, Mesnil-La-Comtesse, Mesnil-Lettre, Molins-Sur-Aube, Montmorency-Beaufort, Montsuzain, Morembert, Nogent-Sur-Aube, Nozay, Ormes, Ortillon, Pars-Les-Chavanges, Planty, Poivres, Pouan-Les-Vallees, Pougy, Ramerupt, Rances, Rosnay-L’hopital, Saint-Christophe-Dodinicourt, Saint-Etienne-Sous-Barbuise, Saint-Leger-Sous-Margerie, Saint-Nabord-Sur-Aube, Saint-Remy-Sous-Barbuise, Semoine, Soulaines-Dhuys, Torcy-Le-Grand, Torcy-Le-Petit, Trouans, Vaucogne, Vaupoisson, Verricourt, Villeret, Villette-Sur-Aube, Villiers-Herbisse, Vinets, Voue, Yevres-Le-Petit;

Part of the municipality of: Aix-Villemaur-Palis ;

Department of Loiret (45):

Bazoches-Sur-Le-Betz, Chantecoq, Chateau-Renard, Chevannes, Chevry-Sous-Le-Bignon, Chuelles, Corbeilles, Courtemaux, Courtempierre, Courtenay, Dordives, Douchy-Montcorbon, Ervauville, Ferrieres-En-Gatinais, Fontenay-Sur-Loing, Foucherolles, Girolles, Gondreville, Griselles, Gy-Les-Nonains, La Chapelle-Saint-Sepulcre, La Selle-En-Hermoy, La Selle-Sur-Le-Bied, Le Bignon-Mirabeau, Louzouer, Melleroy, Merinville, Migneres, Mignerette, Nargis, Pers-En-Gatinais, Prefontaines, Rozoy-Le-Vieil, Saint-Firmin-Des-Bois, Saint-Germain-Des-Pres, Saint-Hilaire-Les-Andresis, Saint-Loup-De-Gonois, Sceaux-Du-Gatinais, Thorailles, Treilles-En-Gatinais, Trigueres;

Department of Marne (51):

Allemanche-Launay-Et-Soyer, Ambrieres, Anglure, Anthenay, Arrigny, Arzillieres-Neuville, Bagneux, Bannay, Baslieux-Sous-Chatillon, Baudement, Baye, Beaunay, Belval-Sous-Chatillon, Binson-Et-Orquigny, Blaise-Sous-Arzillieres, Boursault, Brandonvillers, Breban, Chaltrait, Champaubert, Champlat-Et-Boujacourt, Champvoisy, Chapelaine, Chatelraould-Saint-Louvent, Chatillon-Sur-Broue, Chatillon-Sur-Marne, Clesles, Coizard-Joches, Conflans-Sur-Seine, Congy, Corbeil, Corribert, Courjeonnet, Courtagnon, Courthiezy, Cuchery, Cuisles, Dormans, Drosnay, Ecollemont, Esclavolles-Lurey, Etoges, Ferebrianges, Festigny, Giffaumont-Champaubert, Gigny-Bussy, Granges-Sur-Aube, Hauteville, Humbauville, Igny-Comblizy, Jonquery, La Caure, La Celle-Sous-Chantemerle, La Chapelle-Lasson, La Chapelle-Sous-Orbais, La Neuville-Aux-Larris, La Ville-Sous-Orbais, Landricourt, Le Baizil, Le Breuil, Les Rivieres-Henruel, Leuvrigny, Lignon, Marcilly-Sur-Seine, Mareuil-En-Brie, Mareuil-Le-Port, Margerie-Hancourt, Margny, Marsangis, Montmort-Lucy, Nanteuil-La-Foret, Nesle-Le-Repons, Oeuilly, Olizy, Orbais-L’abbaye, Outines, Passy-Grigny, Pleurs, Potangis, Pourcy, Reuil, Saint-Cheron, Sainte-Gemme, Sainte-Marie-Du-Lac-Nuisement, Saint-Just-Sauvage, Saint-Martin-d’Ablois, Saint-Ouen-Domprot, Saint-Quentin-Le-Verger, Saint-Remy-En-Bouzemont-Saint-Genest-Et-Isson, Saint-Saturnin, Saint-Utin, Saron-Sur-Aube, Sompuis, Somsois, Suizy-Le-Franc, Talus-Saint-Prix, Troissy, Vandieres, Verneuil, Villers-Sous-Chatillon, Villevenard, Villiers-Aux-Corneilles, Vincelles, Vouarces;

Canton de Sezanne-Brie et Champagne: all municipalities;

Department of Haute-Marne (52):

Cantons de Saint-Dizier-1, Saint-Dizier-3, Wassy: all municipalities;

Aingoulaincourt, Annonville, Bayard-Sur-Marne, Chamouilley, Chevillon, Cirfontaines-En-Ornois, Domblain, Echenay, Effincourt, Eurville-Bienville, Fays, Fontaines-Sur-Marne, Germay, Germisay, Gillaume, Lezeville, Magneux, Maizieres, Mertrud, Montreuil-Sur-Thonnance, Narcy, Noncourt-Sur-Le-Rongeant, Nully, Osne-Le-Val, Pansey, Paroy-Sur-Saulx, Poissons, Rachecourt-Sur-Marne, Roches-Sur-Marne, Sailly, Saint-Dizier, Saudron, Sommancourt, Thonnance-Les-Moulins, Tremilly, Troisfontaines-La-Ville, Valleret;

Part of the municipality of: Epizon

Department of Meuse (55):

Arrondissement of Bar-le-duc: all municipalities;

Ancemont, Aubreville, Baudremont, Belrain, Bonnet, Bouquemont, Bovee-Sur-Barboure, Boviolles, Brabant-En-Argonne, Brocourt-En-Argonne, Broussey-En-Blois, Chauvoncourt, Chonville-Malaumont, Clermont-En-Argonne, Courcelles-En-Barrois, Courouvre, Cousances-Les-Triconville, Dagonville, Dombasle-En-Argonne, Dompcevrin, Dugny-Sur-Meuse, Erneville-Aux-Bois, Fresnes-Au-Mont, Froidos, Futeau, Gimecourt, Grimaucourt-Pres-Sampigny, Heippes, Jouy-En-Argonne, Julvecourt, Koeur-La-Grande, Koeur-La-Petite, Lahaymeix, Landrecourt-Lempire, Laneuville-Au-Rupt, Lavallee, Le Claon, Le Neufour, Lemmes, Lerouville, Les Islettes, Les Paroches, Les Souhesmes-Rampont, Levoncourt, Lignieres-Sur-Aire, Longchamps-Sur-Aire, Marson-Sur-Barboure, Meligny-Le-Grand, Meligny-Le-Petit, Menil-Aux-Bois, Menil-La-Horgne, Naives-En-Blois, Nancois-Le-Grand, Neuville-En-Verdunois, Neuvilly-En-Argonne, Nicey-Sur-Aire, Nixeville-Blercourt, Osches, Pierrefitte-Sur-Aire, Rambluzin-Et-Benoite-Vaux, Rarecourt, Recicourt, Recourt-Le-Creux, Reffroy, Rupt-Devant-Saint-Mihiel, Saint-Andre-En-Barrois, Saint-Aubin-Sur-Aire, Saint-Joire, Sampigny, Saulvaux, Sauvoy, Senoncourt-Les-Maujouy, Sivry-La-Perche, Souilly, Thillombois, Treveray, Vadelaincourt, Vadonville, Ville-Devant-Belrain, Villeroy-Sur-Meholle, Ville-Sur-Cousances, Villotte-Sur-Aire, Void-Vacon, Woimbey;

Part of the municipalities of: Bannoncourt, Belleray, Bislee, Boncourt-Sur-Meuse, Commercy, Dieue-Sur-Meuse, Euville, Han-Sur-Meuse, Maizey, Mecrin, Les Monthairons, Ourches-Sur-Meuse, Pagny-Sur-Meuse, Pont-Sur-Meuse, Saint-Mihiel, Sorcy-Saint-Martin, Tilly-Sur-Meuse, Troussey, Troyon, Verdun, Vignot, Villers-Sur-Meuse;

Departments of Seine-et-Marne (77), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94) and the city of Paris (75): all municipalities;

Department of Yonne (89):

Brannay, Champigny, Chaumont, Cheroy, Courtoin, Cuy, Dollot, Domats, Evry, Foucheres, Gisy-Les-Nobles, Jouy, La Belliole, Lixy, Michery, Montacher-Villegardin, Nailly, Piffonds, Pont-Sur-Yonne, Saint-Agnan, Saint-Martin-Du-Tertre, Saint-Serotin, Saint-Valerien, Savigny-Sur-Clairis, Vallery, Vernoy, Villeblevin, Villebougis, Villemanoche, Villenavotte, Villeneuve-La-Dondagre, Villeneuve-La-Guyard, Villeperrot, Villeroy, Villethierry, Vinneuf.

5. Link with the geographical area

The Brie natural region, the birthplace of ‘Brie de Meaux’, extends over parts of the Ile-de-France and Champagne between the valleys of the Marne and the Seine. It is characterised by its suitability for cereal production and its situation, which covers a part of the Paris conurbation.

Although the area where ‘Brie de Meaux’ is produced has expanded beyond the natural region of Brie, it has nevertheless remained geographically coherent. Thus, the geographical area of the ‘Brie de Meaux’ PDO is centred on the upstream and centre basin of the river Seine, including the riverbeds of the majority of its major tributaries (Loing, Yonne, Aube, Marne and their tributaries). The landscape of the geographical area consists of vast plateaus. The impermeability of the subsoil means that the waters do not infiltrate and the landscape is sculpted by multiple valleys.

The loess-covered plateaus are fertile and favourable to tillage. The clay-covered slopes of the modest valleys are less well suited to growing cereals and have pastures suitable for grazing, like the valley floors.

Historically, the plateaux were dedicated to cereal crops, with livestock rearing confined to the valleys and the slopes, where the town of Meaux is situated.

In the 18th century, agronomists recommended sowing leguminous crops on temporary grassland rather than leaving the land fallow, as was the traditional three-year crop rotation practice at the time. This not only had beneficial effects on cereal production, but also allowed the production of large quantities of fodder for feeding animals

Since then, some cereal farms in the Brie region transitioned to mixed-crop/livestock farms. The Brie region did not become a specialised livestock area, as the peculiarity of the Briard system was to incorporate livestock rearing in a crop rotation system based on cereal production. The straw from this important cereal production was used for the cows’ bedding.

With the development of the alcohol and sugar industry, sugar beet production also became an essential component of the mixed crop-production in Brie. The by-products were consumed by the livestock, which was considered the best way to use everything that farms produced and could not sell.

The herd’s feed thus includes a large number of cereal by-products (straw, chaff and bran), as well as turnips and beet.

Cheese-making was the obvious destination for the surplus milk production, with brie already enjoying a considerable reputation in this regard and benefiting from the nearby market of Paris.

The brie was made on the farms and the size of the moulds corresponded to the quantity of milk available on the farm. At the end of the nineteenth century, the use of rennet which to that point had been somewhat random, became more controlled and specialised techniques developed. Large-format ‘Brie de Meaux’ used rennet-type techniques and smaller cheeses used milk-powder techniques.

The manufacturers also took advantage of the work of Emile Duclaux and Georges Roger, who isolated Penicillium candidum from a brie for the first time in 1897 and developed the Roger method for seeding the cheeses with the cultures identified.

Benefiting from the proximity to Paris and the improvement of transport conditions, a share of the Brie region’s milk production went to sales of milk for drinking and for fresh products. Also, from the middle of the 19th century, the maturers benefited from the improvement of the road network and the appearance of the railway not just to deliver their products, but also to purchase immature ‘fresh salt cheeses’ made in the eastern part of the Paris basin to compensate for the drop in production in the Seine and Marne. They matured them and sold them as ‘Brie de Meaux’.

In fact, renneting techniques made it possible to obtain a cohesive curd that can withstand transport, while a milk-powder based curd is more brittle and fragile at the ‘fresh salt’ stage. Cheese production developed in the Marne, Haute-Marne and Meuse regions.

These different expertises are still being used today: the milk produced in the geographical area, which is relatively low in fat and rich in protein, is ideal for making cheese.

The cheese-making technique has not changed much. A high dose of rennet is added so the curd forms quickly (rennet type). The curd is sliced and placed in the mould quickly using the traditional perforated ladle.

‘Brie de Meaux’ is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk, with a ‘bloomy’ rind.

Made in cylindrical moulds with a diameter of 36 to 37 centimetres, it is pancake-shaped.

At four weeks’ maturity, ‘Brie de Meaux’ has a lactic flavour and may be slightly salty with a hint of bitterness. Between four and six weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, moving from a brittle to a supple consistency. Its aroma develops gradually. After six to eight weeks, the ‘Brie de Meaux’ is fully mature and supple in consistency; it has a subtle aroma of cream, butter and hazelnut.

In this cereal-oriented region, mixed crop/livestock farms used legumes, beets and a large variety of products derived from beet and locally available cereals to feed their herds. These by-product-based rations produce a milk that is relatively low in fat but rich in proteins and thus lends itself well to cheese making. Furthermore, the cows’ straw bedding supports a microbial ecosystem that influences the natural flora of the raw milk. Indeed, in addition to the feeding conditions for cows, ‘Brie de Meaux’ derives its specific character from the exclusive use of raw milk, which requires a particular know-how developed and handed down by the cheesemakers in this geographical area.

Originally developed in the farms using methods of production that required neither complex equipment nor long periods of time, this know-how is illustrated in particular by the mastery of renneting, which makes it possible to obtain a firm curd suitable for producing cheese in moulds with a large diameter, the suitability of the curd for slicing, and the use of the traditional perforated ladle to fill the moulds. This type of curd drains naturally without needing to be finely cut; the curd is roughly sabred or cut, then hand-moulded into fine layers using the traditional perforated ladle.

Finally, the treatment of the cheeses from the time of their salting to dry salting and throughout the maturation process allows the ‘Brie de Meaux’ to express its own specific aromas.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCBrieMeaux190320.pdf

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.