EN Official Journal of the European Union C 340/6

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2014/C 340/06

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (1).

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A TSG

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 509/2006

on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional specialities guaranteed (2)

‘HEUMILCH’/‘HAYMILK’/‘LATTE FIENO’/‘LAIT DE FOIN’/‘LECHE DE HENO’

EC No: AT-TSG-0007-01035 — 27.8.2012

1. Name and address of the applicant group

Name: ARGE Heumilch Österreich Address: Grabenweg 68, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Tel. +43 512345245 E-mail: office@heumilch.at

2. Member State or Third Country

Austria

3. Product specification

3.1. Names to be registered

‘Heumilch’ (DE); ‘Haymilk’ (EN); ‘Latte fieno’ (IT); ‘Lait de foin’ (FR); ‘Leche de heno’ (ES)

3.2. Whether the name

☐ is specific in itself

☒ expresses the specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

Haymilk production is the most natural form of milk production. The milk comes from animals in traditional, sustainable dairy farms. The key difference between standard milk and haymilk, and haymilk’s traditional character, stems from the fact that as in the earliest form of milk production, animals are not fed fermented fodder. Since the 1960s, on account of the industrialisation and mechanisation of farming, the production of silage (fermented fodder) has become increasingly popular, thus reducing fresh-fodder farming. Moreover, regulations forbid the use of animals and feed which are to be identified as ‘genetically modified’ under prevailing legislation. The feeding procedure is adapted to match seasonal changes: in the ‘green-feeding period’, animals are fed fresh grass and foliage and some hay and forms of feed permitted under point 3.6; in the winter period, animals are fed hay, or other forms of feed permitted under point 3.6.

3.3. Whether reservation of the name is sought under Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 509/2006

☒ Registration with reservation of the name

☐ Registration, without reservation of the name

3.4. Type of product

Class 1.4. Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

3.5. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies

Cow’s milk in accordance with the applicable legislation.

3.6. Description of the production method of the agricultural product or foodstuff to which the name under point 3.1 applies

Haymilk is produced according to traditional production conditions that comply with the ‘Heumilchregulativ’ (regulations on haymilk production). This form of milk is distinguished by rules forbidding the use of fermented fodder, such as silage, and rules forbidding the use of animals and feed which are to be identified as ‘genetically modified’ under prevailing legislation.

‘Heumilchregulativ’

— ‘Haymilk’ is a form of cow’s milk extracted from lactating cows, produced by dairy farmers who have undertaken to comply with the following criteria: no animals or feed which are to be identified as ‘genetically modified’ under prevailing legislation may be used.

Permitted types of feed

— The animals are mainly fed fresh grass and foliage during the ‘green-feeding period’, and hay in the winter period. Roughage must make up at least 75 % of the daily ration of dry feed.

— The following auxiliary forms of feed are permitted: green rapeseed, green maize, green rye and fodder beets, and hay, lucerne and maize pellets.

— The following cereal crops are also permitted, in their conventional marketed form and in composites with bran, pellets, etc.: wheat, barley, oats, triticale, rye and maize.

— The following may also be used as feed: beans, field peas, oleaginous fruits, and extraction meal or cakes.

Forbidden types of feed

— The following types of feed are prohibited: silage (fermented fodder), moist hay and fermented hay.

— Animals may not be fed by-products from breweries, distilleries, fruit pressing, or other by-products from the food industry, such as wet brewer’s grains or wet cuttings. Exception: dry cuttings as a by-product of sugar manufacturing, and dry protein feed produced during grain processing.

— Lactating animals may not be fed any form of wet fodder.

— Animals may not be fed products of animal origin (milk, whey, meat-and-bone meal, etc.), except for young cows, which may be fed milk and whey.

— Animals may not be fed garden waste, fallen fruit, potatoes or urea.

Fertilisation conditions

— The use of sewage sludge, sewage sludge products, or compost from municipal treatment plants is prohibited on all areas agriculturally exploited by the milk supplier.

— Milk suppliers must wait at least three weeks after manure spreading before use of land to graze livestock.

Use of chemical auxiliary substances

— Only the selective use of synthetic chemical pesticides under the expert supervision of agronomic specialists, and the targeting of specific sites in any of the green fodder areas of the dairy farm is permitted.

— Permitted fly sprays may be used in dairy stalls only when the lactating cows are absent.

Delivery prohibitions

— Milk may not be delivered as ‘haymilk’ within 10 days after calving.

— When cows that have been fed silage (fermented fodder) are used, there must be a waiting period of least 14 days.

— As regards alpine animals on their farms which have been fed silage (fermented fodder), either they must be fed silage-free food for 14 days before they are driven up to alpine pastures, or their milk can be classed as ‘haymilk’ only once they have spent 14 days on alpine pastures (owned by the haymilk supplier). No silage may be produced or used as feed on the alpine pasture.

Prohibition of genetically modified food and feed

— In order to preserve the traditional production of haymilk, no animals or feed which are to be identified as ‘genetically modified’ under prevailing legislation may be used.

Other regulations

— No silage (fermented fodder) may be produced on any of the areas exploited by haymilk producers.

— No film-wrapped round bales of any type may be produced or stored.

— No moist hay or fermented hay may be produced on any of the areas exploited by haymilk producers.

3.7. Specific character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

Haymilk is different from standard cow’s milk on account of its special production conditions pursuant to point 3.6 of the ‘Heumilchregulativ’.

Studies by Dr Ginzinger et al. of the Bundesanstalt für alpenländische Milchwirtschaft (Federal Agency for alpine dairy farming) in Rotholz, in 1995 and 2001, showed that 65 % of the silage-milk samples analysed had over 1 000 clostridia spores per litre. Analysis of milk delivered to a large cheese manufacturer showed that 52 % of the samples had over 10 000 clostridia spores per litre. Studies showed that 85 % of the silage-free haymilk samples analysed had less than 200 spores per litre, and 15 % of the samples contained between 200 and 300 spores per litre. Haymilk has a particularly low level of clostridia spores on account of special feeding methods. When hard cheese is manufactured from raw haymilk, there are fewer major problems regarding holes and flavour.

As part of the research project on ‘the influence of silage on milk quality’, the taste of milk from animals that had and had not been fed on silage was analysed (Ginzinger and Tschager, Bundesanstalt für alpenländische Milchwirtschaft, Rotholz, 1993). 77 % of the examined milk samples from hay-fed animals did not have taste problems. As regards milk samples from silage-fed animals (standard milk), only 29 % of the sampled milk was free from taste problems. There was also a significant difference between tests on milk from delivery lorry tanks. 94 % of the tests on silage-free haymilk had no taste problems. However, the proportion of silage-milk samples free from taste problems was only 45 %.

A thesis study at the University of Vienna (by Schreiner, Seiz and Ginzinger, 2011) proved that haymilk has approximately double the content of Omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids when compared to standard milk, on account of the feeding based on roughage and pasture associated with that form of milk.

3.8. Traditional character of the agricultural product or foodstuff

Haymilk production and processing is as old as the tradition of dairy farming (dating back to around the fifth century BCE). In the Middle Ages, in the foothills of the Alps and the Tyrolean mountains, cheese was already being produced from haymilk on ‘Schwaighöfen’ (small-scale Alpine dairy farms). The word ‘Schwaig’ comes from Middle High German and denotes a special form of settlement and, in particular, farming in the Alpine region. ‘Schwaighof’ farms were often established as permanent settlements by landowners and their cattle stock was primarily used for dairy farming (particularly for cheese production). They have existed in the Tyrol and Salzburg since the 12th century. In the mountainous areas, haymilk was originally linked to the production of hard cheese from raw milk. As early as around 1900, laws (milk regulations) were already passed regarding silage-free milk suitable for the production of hard cheese. In Austria, such laws formed the basis of the ‘Milchregulative’ (milk regulations) of the provinces of Vorarlberg, the Tyrol and Salzburg around 1950. In 1975 these ‘Milchregulative’ were streamlined and defined as the prerequisites for milk suitable for the production of hard cheese by the Austrian dairy farming body (see: ‘Bestimmungen über die Übernahme von hartkäsetauglicher Milch’ (rules on milk suitable for producing hard cheese), Österreichische Milchwirtschaft Heft 14, Beilage 6 Nr. 23c, 21 July 1975). The former dairy farming authority in Austria regulated certain production areas known as ‘silage-free zones’ up until 1993, in order to preserve the raw material ‘haymilk’ (also known as ‘silage-free milk’ and ‘milk suitable for the production of hard cheese’) for cheese manufacturers reliant on raw milk. In 1995, the silage-free zone for haymilk was further protected by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Water and Environment Management in its ‘non-use of silage measure’, contained in the ‘special guidelines to promote an environmentally friendly, extensive form of agriculture that protects natural living space’ (the Austrian programme for environmentally friendly agriculture, known as ‘ÖPUL’).

In alpine regions animals have always traditionally been fed according to the haymilk criteria. There are documents and certificates dating from 1544 charting alpine cheese production for the Wildschönauer Holzalm alpine pasture in the Tyrol.

Since the start of the 1980s, some haymilk farmers have also been farming according to organic/ecological criteria.

3.9. Minimum requirements and procedures to check the specific character

—

4. Authorities or bodies verifying compliance with the product specification

4.1. Name and address

—

4.2. Specific tasks of the authority or body

—

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

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 1. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.