EN Official Journal of the European Union C 299/7

Publication of an amendment application 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

(2017/C 299/08)

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

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

‘SAINT-NECTAIRE’

EU No: PDO-FR-02299 — 8.3.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Interprofession du ‘Saint-Nectaire’ (ISN), an inter-branch organisation for ‘Saint-Nectaire’

Address: 2 route des Fraux 63610 Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise FRANCE Tel. +33 473795257 Fax +33 473795172 E-mail: contact@syndicatstnectaire.com

The group is composed of producers, milk collectors, processors and ripeners of ‘Saint-Nectaire’ and 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 — ☒ Product description — ☐ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other: inspections, national requirements, link

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of 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)

Heading ‘Product description’

In the previous amendment of the specification, the average weight of the cheeses was replaced by a maximum weight (1,850 kg for the large cheese and 0,650 kg for the small cheese). The implementation of that provision provided an opportunity to elaborate on the criterion. In order to take into account any variations in the weight of the cheeses and define the product precisely, the maximum weight of the cheese has been increased and supplemented by a minimal weight. Consequently, the weight of the large ‘Saint-Nectaire’‘ranges between 1,450 kg and 1,950 kg’ instead of ‘does not exceed 1,850 kg’. The weight of the small ‘Saint-Nectaire’‘ranges between 0,500 kg and 0,700 kg’ instead of ‘does not exceed 0,650 kg’.

The description of the paste has been specified on the basis of the experience gained by tasting panels. Consequently the sentence ‘The smooth, supple paste, which yields to the touch, is ivory in colour and may have a few small holes evenly distributed throughout the cheese’ has replaced the sentence ‘The supple, smooth paste yields to the touch’. This new description makes it possible to define the product more precisely.

The description of the taste of the product has been supplemented in order to better reflect the complex taste of ‘Saint-Nectaire’. Thus the descriptors ‘mild’ and ‘without excessive acidity’ have been added, and the sentence now reads as follows: ‘The taste is clean, mild, slightly salty, without excessive acidity, with a variety of milky tastes (fresh milk, cream, butter) and flavours related to the maturing process (cellar, straw mats, earth or undergrowth), often enhanced by an overall subtle nuttiness.’.

All of these amendments, which aim at improving the product description, have also been added to the Single Document.

Heading ‘Proof of origin’

In addition to the identification declaration to be furnished before the operators' ability to meet the specification is confirmed, a prior declaration of having no intention to produce and a prior declaration of resuming production have been introduced in order to allow operators to temporarily stop producing ‘Saint-Nectaire’ if they so wish.

It has been specified that the monthly provision of statistical data on production and ripening also concerns farm producers who ripen the cheese on the farm, as this makes the text easier to understand.

A requirement has been added for certain categories of operators (milk collectors, producers and ripeners) whereby they must annually provide the group, for the year n before 25 February of the year n+1, with statistical data on their operations in the previous year, in addition to the monthly transfer of data already required for some operators, so that the group has at its disposal an annual summary from the operators.

The minimum period of time for keeping declarations received by the group has been set at two years in addition to the current year instead of three years from date to date in order to facilitate the management of archives by calendar year.

In connection with the amendments made concerning animal feeding, it has been specified that the summary report on grass harvests and purchases drawn up by the milk producer relates to all grass harvests and purchases, regardless of the origin of the grass, so as to allow an overview of all harvests and purchases of grass.

Furthermore, in order to be able to evaluate the quality of the harvest and manage its distribution, the feed registers have been supplemented with the sentence ‘For fodder preserved through fermentation and intended to be distributed to the dairy cows, the milk producer must organise the following before 1 November of each year:

— a pH or dry matter content analysis of each silo of ensilaged fodder (including silage packed into long round bales, or “boudins”),

— an analysis of the dry matter content of any other fodder preserved through fermentation, for every 100 bales’.

A clarification has been added concerning the entries in the fodder stock inventory. Thus it is also necessary to indicate in the inventory which animals the different fodder stocks are intended for, specifying the preservation method, packaging and origin of the fodder in order to facilitate checks.

It has been specified that invoices related to feed purchases concern fodder and supplementary feed purchases, so as to avoid any ambiguity.

A provision has been added laying down the obligation of milk producers with replacement heifers that are not continuously present from their birth to their first calving in the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document to keep a register indicating, in particular, for each heifer, the dates of leaving and returning to the area as well as the nature and origin of the feed consumed, in order to be able to monitor the movements and feeding of the replacement heifers.

In connection with the amendment to the heading ‘method of obtaining the product’ in the specification, proof of the annual replacement of the teat-cup liners and tubes of the milking installation is no longer specifically required, since the condition of the teat-cup liners and tubes is inspected and checked when inspecting the functioning of the milking installation (regular inspection of the assembly, condition and functioning of milking installations performed when verifying compliance with good hygiene practices in milking operations).

The date of the cheeses' removal from the mould must be indicated in the entry and exit register for the frozen pre-ripened cheeses, so as to allow better verification of the age of pre-ripened cheeses that are about to be frozen.

In order to ensure that the data necessary for inspections is available, the storage period of the records where the operator of the ripening cellar has indicated the ripening conditions has been added: ‘a minimum of two years in addition to the current year’.

The name of the cantons has been removed from the list of codes consisting of one or more letters placed on the identification marks in order to identify the municipality where the cheese was made. As the administrative division of the cantons has changed following a national reform, that non-essential indication has become obsolete.

The colour of the casein plate of dairy-produced ‘Saint-Nectaire’ has been amended: ‘beige’ has replaced ‘green’. The presence of a piece of a green casein plate on a pre-packaged portion of cheese may lead to refusals to accept the cheese or to complaints from consumers. In addition, the readability of any words marked on a beige casein plate is better preserved during ripening and may even improve.

A provision on the traceability of the farm cheeses in cold rooms has been reworded so as to make it easier to understand for all operators: the phrase ‘each batch of cheeses produced in a cold room is identified and arranged separately on a grid’ has been replaced with ‘in the cold room, each batch of cheeses produced is identified and arranged separately’, without specifying the support used, because supports other than grids could be used without that affecting the specificity of the product.

Finally, in dairy production, the specification whereby the cheeses are arranged ‘on stacks’ has been deleted, since the traceability of the cheeses can be guaranteed without it being necessary to stack them.

The amendments to the heading ‘Proof of origin’ aim at ensuring more appropriate monitoring of the activity of ‘Saint-Nectaire’ operators.

Heading ‘Method of production’

Milk production — Dairy herd

The date of 1 January 2015, which has expired, has been deleted from the provision requiring that the dairy cows must be born and reared in the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document.

A provision has been added specifying that the replacement heifers must be present in that area for at least half of each year. This allows the replacement heifers to be housed and/or put out to graze outside the area during a limited period, which is less than half of their rearing period. This provision makes it possible to ensure the availability of a sufficient number of forage areas in the defined area, so that the dairy cows can be fed also in the event of a temporary fodder deficit caused by unpredictable weather or other natural hazards. This provision does not affect the quality of the cheese, because once the heifer starts lactating, it becomes a dairy cow and subject to the production conditions, including those concerning the feeding of the dairy cows.

The purpose of these amendments is to allow operators to better adapt the management of their dairy herd to any unexpected circumstances.

The deletion of the date of 1 January 2015 and the above provision on the replacement heifers are now reflected in point 3.3 of the Single Document.

Milk production — Fodder areas

The livestock density per hectare of the principal forage area has been reduced to 1,3 livestock units instead of 1,4 in order to increase the holding's feed autonomy.

Some operators who lodged a statement of opposition relating to that provision during the national opposition period and who met the conditions of Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 have been granted a transitional period ending on 31 December 2021.

Milk production — Animal feeding

As regards the feeding of the dairy cows, amendments have been made to the present provisions indicating that the dairy cows' basic ration must be composed exclusively of grass from the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document and that the share of supplementary feed is limited to 30 % of the total ration, expressed as dry matter, per year for all the dairy cows. The dairy cows' basic ration will continue to be composed exclusively of grass, and the composition of the dairy cows' total annual ration has been clarified: it must include a minimum of 70 % of grass as dry matter from the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document, with the rest composed of a maximum of 1 800 kg of supplementary feed per dairy cow and year (calculated as raw material, with the exception of whey, maize cob and grain maize, which are calculated as dry matter) and, as appropriate, of grass distributed in the form of dry fodder with a dry matter content above 80 %, with the alfalfa hay and long-bladed dehydrated lucerne possibly coming from outside the area. The new wording specifies more precisely the share of the feed produced in the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document, based on the best use of the area's grass resources, while allowing the possibility to supplement the dairy cows' basic ration with dry fodder and long-bladed dehydrated lucerne that may come from outside the area. Alfalfa hay and long-bladed dehydrated lucerne have thus been removed from the list of supplementary feed. It is true that technically they are fodder. It is therefore proposed that they be included in the dairy cows' basic ration so as to improve readability and make the concept of the dairy cows' basic ration easier to understand for all operators. In addition, in order to facilitate checks, the authorised maximum amount of the supplementary feed has been expressed in kilogrammes rather than as a share of the total ration.

Consequently, in the Single Document, the provision ‘the dairy cows' basic ration must be composed exclusively of grass from the area defined in point 4 of the Single Document’ has been replaced by ‘the dairy cows' basic ration must be composed exclusively of grass. A minimum of 70 % of the dairy cows' total annual ration (basic ration and supplementary feed) of dry matter must be composed of grass from the area defined in point 4.’. It has also been added that the use of raw materials and additives ‘is limited to 1 800 kg per dairy cow and year calculated as raw material, with the exception of whey, maize cob and grain maize, which are calculated as dry matter’, which replaces the phrase ‘In any case, the share of supplementary feed is limited to 30 % of the total ration expressed as dry matter per year for all the dairy cows’.

Besides, it appears that certain producers will not be able to adapt their farming system to the ban on using fodder preserved through fermentation in the dairy cows' feed as from 1 May 2017, because that adaptation requires investments that are out of their reach. In addition, the possibility for the producer to choose the preservation method of the grass when building up his wintertime fodder reserves allows him to take better account of weather conditions and make the most of the quality of the grass available in the area. The climatic conditions (substantial rainfall, modest period of sunshine) and high altitude (mountain area) sometimes make it difficult to stock up with grass solely in the form of dry fodder. Consequently the provision ‘As from 1 May 2017, fermented fodder is prohibited in the dairy cows' feed. The only preserved fodder authorised is grass distributed as dry feed with a dry matter content of over 80 %’ has been deleted, as it has from point 3.3 of the Single Document. A provision aiming at limiting the intake by the dairy cows of fodder preserved through fermentation to a maximum of 15 % of the total ration of dry matter per year has been added in order to reflect the small share of fodder preserved through fermentation in the dairy cows' overall feed over the year. In addition, the daily share of dry fodder in the dairy cows' basic ration outside the grazing period, expressed as dry matter, has been raised to 60 % instead of 50 %, in line with limiting the share of fodder preserved through fermentation to a maximum of 15 % of the total annual ration. The amendment to the daily share of dry fodder in the dairy cows' basic ration outside the grazing period has also been made in point 3.3 of the Single Document.

The minimum annual period of grazing has been raised from 140 to 160 days in order to further enable the optimal use of the grass available for grazing. It has been specified that green feeding is prohibited ‘during the days of grazing’ rather than ‘during that period’ in order to improve the readability of the provision. These amendments have also been made to point 3.3 of the Single Document.

The conditions for storing and preserving fodder preserved through fermentation have been laid down in order to guarantee its quality: ‘Ensilaged fodder is stored on a surface made of concrete or tar, with the exception of silage packed into long round bales, or “boudins”. Other fodder preserved through fermentation (including silage packed into “boudins”) is stored on a surface made of concrete or stabilised sand before 1 November each year.’. ‘Ensilaged fodder has a pH below 4,4 or a dry matter content equal to or higher than 30 %. Other fodder preserved through fermentation has a dry matter content equal to or higher than 50 %.’

Consistent with the above amendments, the words ‘until 30 April 2017’ have been deleted from the sentence ‘Enzymes and bacterial inoculants are the only additives authorised in silage’.

For the purposes of checks, it has been specified that the provision on the heifers' basic ration is expressed on an annual basis. The possibility to add straw to the heifers' basic ration has been added in order to compensate for the loss of grass-based fodder in dry years. Furthermore, it is technically favourable to use straw in the heifers' basic ration for the purpose of developing these animals' rumen and intake capacity. These amendments have also been made to point 3.3 of the Single Document.

The provision whereby ‘Heifers intended for the renewal of the dairy cows of a holding accredited for the production of “Saint-Nectaire” must be kept on the holding and are subject to the same feeding conditions as the dairy cows at the latest starting three months before their first lactation.’ has been deleted, since that provision causes difficulties when organising the management of the herds and its deletion has no negative impact on the quality of the cheeses. That provision has also been deleted from point 3.3 of the Single Document.

In the provision on the practice of green feeding, ‘grazing periods’ has been replaced by ‘days of grazing’ for the sake of clarity.

Wheat draff has been added to beet pulp and maize draff as one of the types of feed that may be distributed in dehydrated or rehydrated form with the whey produced on the holding, since they also come in dehydrated form. This amendment corrects a drafting error in the specification.

The raw materials and additives allowed in the supplementary feed have been placed on two distinctive positive lists. Those lists have been updated in order to:

— improve their readability,

— include certain raw materials used by feed manufacturers or in organic farming: addition of spelt, millet and sorghum; addition of flour, bran and sharps from any of the authorised cereals; addition of wheat gluten as well as wheat and maize starch; addition of pumpkin, safflower and sesame seeds and cakes; addition of lentils and vetches,

— integrate, among the additives, aromatic substances used in the mineral feed to make it more appetising and easier to ingest by the animals as well as gut flora stabilisers used to improve the ecosystem of the rumen and develop its flora,

— take into account the knowledge available on the effect of certain raw materials on the quality of the cheeses (elimination of soya, rapeseed and sunflower oil, which may harm the flavour of certain types of cheeses).

Furthermore, alfalfa hay and long-bladed dehydrated lucerne have been deleted from the list of raw materials and additives allowed in the supplementary feed, because they are coarse fodder that is an integral part of the basic ration. It has also been specified that essential oils obtained from natural plant extracts may also be used, since they are beneficial to the herd's health.

The sentence ‘The raw materials and additives used in the supplementary feed of the dairy herd have been specified in a positive list’ has been inserted in point 3.3 of the Single Document.

The sentence ‘The only treatments authorised for the raw materials used in the animal feed are mechanical and/or thermal treatments’ has been added in order to limit the treatments that may be carried out on the raw materials.

Instead of authorising the consumption of liquid whey obtained solely from the holding for all the ruminant herds present on the dairy holding, this provision is applied only to the dairy cows and heifers, so as to allow the other ruminant herds present on the dairy holding to consume whey, regardless of its origin.

The sentence ‘The supplementary feed has a dry matter content of more than 85 %, with the exception of liquid whey and maize cob or grain maize’ has been added in order to guarantee the quality and good preservation of the supplementary feed distributed.

The term ‘additives’ has been included in addition to ‘raw materials’ in the sentence ‘Compound feed is manufactured solely from the authorised raw materials listed above’. This amendment corrects a drafting error in the current specification, since compound feed may include additives in addition to raw materials.

The sentence ‘The animals on the holding must not be fed using feed labelled as “including” or “possibly including” genetically modified organisms’ has been added in order to include specifications useful for the checks.

The conditions for using the labelling indication ‘The fodder on our farm(s) is composed exclusively of grazing and hay’ have been specified: that indication is reserved for cheeses made from milk obtained from holdings that use in their herd's basic ration exclusively fresh grass or grass preserved in the form of dry fodder (with a dry matter content of over 80 %) stored in a building and intended for all the ruminant herds present on the holding'. These provisions clarify the conditions that must be fulfilled in order to be able to use the indication and thus facilitate checks.

Milking, storing and collecting the milk

The phrase ‘the teat-cup liners and tubes are to be replaced at least once a year’ has been deleted, because the difference in the wear resistance of the different materials used (rubber, silicone, etc.) and the frequency of use of the materials do not make it possible to precisely set a single replacement interval in the specification. It is verified that the teat-cup liners and tubes are in good condition when inspecting the functioning of the milking installation.

Manufacture

As regards the standardisation of the milk intended for dairy-based production, the phrase ‘but not its protein content’ in the sentence ‘Its [the milk's] fat content may be standardised, but not its protein content’ has been reworded as follows: ‘but the standardisation of the protein content is prohibited’, in order to improve clarity. Besides, as the collection of milk within 48 hours was becoming more common in order to reduce collection costs, it will be necessary to carry out thermisation treatment on the milk in order to skim it and obtain milk suited to the production of ‘Saint-Nectaire’. Therefore the provisions on the thermisation treatment of the milk have been rewritten in order to allow thermisation treatment in connection with skimming, in addition to pasteurisation: the sentence ‘If it is pasteurised, the milk may only undergo a single pasteurisation’ has replaced the sentence ‘The milk may only undergo a single pasteurisation or thermisation treatment’. The sentence ‘If it is heat-treated, the thermisation treatment must take place no later than 24 hours after its arrival in the plant’ has been deleted in order to allow companies to adapt their organisation. These amendments make it possible for companies to adapt their activities to the current constraints.

Taking into account producers' observations, which are based on their experience, the maximum renneting temperature of the milk has been raised from 33 to 34 °C to improve the texture of the cheeses, in particular when the protein content of the milk used is low and/or the fat content is high.

The steps in the production of ‘Saint-Nectaire’ cheese, a precise description of which exists in the current specification, have been updated so as to readjust certain target values, taking into account producers' observations and without undermining the specificity of the cheese:

Dairy-based production:

— The framework for lactose removal has been specified in order to preserve the quality of the cheeses and the know-how of the cheesemakers. Consequently the phrase ‘part of the whey may be removed and water ranging in temperature between 30 and 33 °C may be added’ has been deleted and replaced by ‘The amount of serum removed is less than or equal to 30 % of the volume of milk used for production. Drinking water ranging in temperature between 30 and 34 °C may be added, to an amount not exceeding 30 % of the volume of milk used for production’.

— The maximum pH of the brine has been increased from 5,20 to 5,50 to align it better with the desired pH of the cheeses when removed from the mould.

— The maximum drying temperature has been adjusted by raising it from 10 °C to 14 °C, in the light of the average temperatures observed during brining, in order to avoid too large a difference between the temperature of the cheeses after removal from the brine and the temperature of the drying room. In addition, that temperature enables better implantation of the surface flora and better development of the aromas in the product.

Farm-based production:

— The time frame for coagulation has been reduced by replacing the words ‘between 25 and 50 minutes’ with ‘between 25 and 45 minutes’ in order to curdle the gel until it reaches the optimal firmness required to make cheeses with a soft paste.

— The minimum duration of the pressing phase has been reduced from 10 to 8 hours in order to enable better adaptation to the varying composition of the raw material during lactation and provide more flexibility in the organisation of work (the moulds and the press may be reused for the next production batch). The temperature range in the room where the pressing takes place has been set to between 20 and 25 °C instead of 18 to 22 °C, as it is better adapted to the thermophilic cultures used.

— In order to reconcile, for certain cheeses, the interval between renneting and placing in the cellar (at least 48 hours) and the drying period of the cheeses (at least 24 hours and not more than 8 days), and in connection with the ripeners' practice of collecting unripened farm cheeses (‘pre-ripened cheeses’) every 7 days, the interval between renneting and placing in the cellar may be less than 48 hours for one production batch a week. Consequently, the phrase ‘there must be a minimum of 48 hours between the renneting date and the date when the cheese is placed in the ripening cellar’ has been supplemented as follows: ‘except for one production batch a week, where the minimum period of time between the renneting date and the date when the cheese is placed in the ripening cellar may be less than 48 hours, for the purpose of organising the collection of the pre-ripened cheeses’.

Ripening

The maximum temperature of the ripening cellar has been increased from 12 to 14 °C, because it has been found that a higher temperature allows better formation of the rind of the cheeses and encourages the development of the aromas.

Freezing

In the definition of ‘pre-ripened cheese’:

— the cheese's maximum age of 10 days is now calculated from the date of removal from the mould and no longer from the renneting date, because removal from the mould is the stage when the pre-ripened cheese is obtained and it constitutes an easily identifiable point-in-time reference for operators,

— the maximum temperature for storage in cold rooms has been raised from 10 to 14 °C in order to keep it consistent with the maximum drying temperature, which has been raised to 14 °C in dairy-based production.

In order to make the text easier to understand and avoid using the product name for an unripened cheese, the phrase ‘the name of the product is shown in the labelling of the frozen pre-ripened cheeses’ has been replaced by ‘the words “pre-ripened cheese” are shown in the labelling of the frozen pre-ripened cheeses’.

For the sake of readability, the descriptions that may be used when placing frozen pre-ripened cheeses on the market: ‘“unripened farm cheese made from raw milk” or “unripened dairy cheese made from raw milk” or “unripened dairy cheese made from heat-treated milk” or “unripened dairy cheese made from pasteurised milk”, accompanied by a reference to its suitability for making cheese with the designation of origin’, have been replaced by a single description, as follows: ‘Pre-ripened cheese suitable for making cheese with the designation of origin “Saint-Nectaire”’.

Heading ‘Labelling’

The possibility to use the following label indications has been added:

— ‘The fodder on our farm(s) is composed exclusively of grazing and hay’ in order to set apart cheeses made from milk from holdings that do not harvest or use fodder preserved through fermentation,

— ‘made from milk obtained entirely from the Ferrandaise breed’ in order to set apart cheeses made exclusively from milk from cows of the Ferrandaise breed (local breed present in small numbers).

These amendments have also been made to point 3.6 of the Single Document.

The sentence ‘The labelling must include the European Union's AOP (PDO) symbol’ has been deleted from point 3.6 of the Single Document.

Other

— Under the heading ‘References to inspection bodies’, the contact details of the inspection body have been replaced by those of the competent authority for inspections in order to avoid having to amend the specification if the inspection body changes.

— Under the heading ‘National requirements’, the table presenting the main points to be checked and the evaluation methods to be used has been updated in order to take account of the amendments made to the heading ‘method of obtaining the product’.

— Under the heading ‘Link’, in order to describe the specificity of the product, the elements added to the chapter on the description of the product as regards the taste of ‘Saint-Nectaire’ have been added (mild and without excessive acidity). These amendments have also been made to point 5 of the Single Document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘SAINT-NECTAIRE’

EU No: PDO-FR-02299 — 8.3.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Saint Nectaire’

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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Saint Nectaire’ is a cheese made exclusively from renneted cow's milk, with a semi-hard, pressed, uncooked, fermented and salted paste. It has a minimum fat content of 45 g per 100 g of completely desiccated cheese. The dry matter content must not be less than 50 g per 100 g of ripened cheese.

It is presented in the form of a slightly tapered cylinder 20 to 24 cm in diameter and 3,5 to 5,5 cm in height, with a weight ranging between 1,450 kg and 1,950 kg. The minimum ripening period of the cheese is 28 days after it has been placed in the cellar.

‘Saint Nectaire’ can also be made in a smaller size that is 12 to 14 cm in diameter and 3,5 to 4,5 cm high, with a weight ranging from 0,500 kg to 0,700 kg. In this case, the minimum ripening period is reduced to 21 days after the cheese has been placed in the cellar.

The smooth, supple paste, which yields to the touch, is ivory in colour and may have a few small holes evenly distributed throughout the cheese.

The cheese has a rind that is dotted with mould and similar on both sides. Depending on the degree of ripening, the mould is white, brown or grey and may reveal a cream-coloured to orange background, possibly with a yellow and/or red bloom. Cheeses that are uniformly white, orange or black are excluded.

The taste is clean, mild, slightly salty, without excessive acidity, with a variety of milky tastes (fresh milk, cream, butter) and flavours related to the ripening process (cellar, straw mats, earth or undergrowth), often enhanced by an overall subtle nuttiness.

Cheeses covered by the designation of origin ‘Saint-Nectaire’ may also be presented in packaged portions, with each piece having part of the designation's distinctive rind.

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

The cows of each herd producing milk used to make ‘Saint-Nectaire’ must have been born and bred in the area defined in point 4.

In order to be considered as having been ‘bred in the area defined in point 4’, the replacement heifers must be present in that area for at least half of each year.

However, for health reasons and for the Salers, Ferrandaise, Abondance, Simmental Française and Brune breeds, only small numbers of which are kept in the area defined in point 4 and for which demand exceeds the supply authorised by the Director of the National Institute for Origin and Quality, a derogation from this measure may be granted by the Director of the institute.

The dairy cows' basic ration is composed exclusively of grass.

A minimum of 70 % of the dairy cows' total annual ration (basic ration and supplementary feed) of dry matter must be composed of grass from the area defined in point 4.

The dairy cows must graze for a minimum period of 160 days a year. During the days of grazing all green feeding is prohibited.

Outside the grazing period, the grass distributed as dry feed with a dry matter content of over 80 % must make up at least 60 % of the dairy cows' daily basic ration, expressed as dry matter.

The raw materials and additives used in the supplementary feed of the dairy herd have been specified in a positive list. Their use is limited to 1 800 kg per dairy cow and year calculated as raw material, with the exception of whey, maize cob and grain maize, which are calculated as dry matter.

All the feed does not necessarily come from the area defined in point 4, because the altitude and climate do not make it technically possible to produce sufficient amounts of feed.

The heifers' annual basic ration is composed of grass, at least 40 % of which must come from the area defined in point 4, and possibly of straw.

Only plants, by-products and supplementary feed derived from non-transgenic products are authorised in the animal feed. The planting of transgenic crops is prohibited in all areas of holdings producing milk intended for processing into cheese with the designation of origin ‘Saint-Nectaire’. This prohibition applies to all types of plant likely to be given as feed to animals on the farm and to all crops liable to contaminate such plants.

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

Milk production, cheesemaking and ripening must take place in the defined geographical area.

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

—

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

All cheeses with the designation of origin ‘Saint-Nectaire’ must bear a label showing the name of the PDO in letters at least two thirds the size of the largest lettering on the label.

Irrespective of the regulatory terms applicable to all cheeses, the use of any adjective or other words accompanying the designation of origin is prohibited in labelling, advertising, invoices and commercial documents, with the exception of:

— specific brand names or trademarks,

— the words ‘The fodder on our farm(s) is composed exclusively of grazing and hay’, ‘produced from milk obtained entirely from the Salers breed’, ‘produced from milk obtained entirely from the Ferrandaise breed’, ‘ripened in a natural cellar’, a specific ripening period of more than the minimum of 28 days, ‘ripened on straw’, ‘ripened on the farm’, ‘ripened on firwood’ and ‘ripened on spruce wood’. At all events, the text may not be more than two thirds the size of the designation ‘Saint-Nectaire’,

— the words ‘produced in a dairy’ or any other indication suggesting dairy origin.

The labelling of the cheeses indicates whether they come from a farm or a dairy.

The dairy or farm origin is indicated in characters at least two thirds of the size of the designation ‘Saint Nectaire’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of the designation of origin ‘Saint-Nectaire’ covers the territory of the municipalities of the Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme departments.

Milk production and cheesemaking must take place in an area where the natural and human factors referred to in point 5 are taken into account.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors

The geographical area of ‘Saint Nectaire’ is located in the centre of France, in the Massif Central.

Milk production and cheesemaking benefit from the special conditions to be found at an altitude above 700 m.

The prevailing winds from the west bring substantial moisture to the western slopes of the volcanic mountains, less so to their eastern slopes. Owing to the very fertile volcanic soil, there is grass everywhere and the flora is abundant and varied: thyme absolute, yellow gentian, spignel, yarrow, alpine clover, etc. Forage production is based principally on the use of permanent grassland, which is rich in flowering plants and covers at least 90 % of the holdings' area under grass.

Human factors

‘Saint Nectaire’ has been produced in the Monts Dore region for several centuries. Its name made its first appearance in gastronomy in the 17th century. With the name of the cheese appearing in numerous publications (in particular in 1786 and 1787), the production of ‘Saint Nectaire’ developed in the 19th century and then further in the 20th century on small mountain farms which kept a small number of livestock, where making the cheese became the prerogative of the farmers' wives and where the production skills became established. Traditionally, cheesemakers only very rarely ripened their cheeses and they would take them to the many markets in the area without ripening them. The expert ripeners of Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal, who had the requisite facilities and know-how, bought the cheeses and ripened them close to consumption centres. This tradition has survived into the present, though nowadays unripened cheeses are collected directly at the place of production.

‘Saint Nectaire’ was recognised as a designation of origin by decision of the court of Issoire in 1955.

The resources employed in feeding the dairy cows used to produce milk for making ‘Saint Nectaire’ are those referred to in ‘Natural factors’. The basic ration is composed solely of grass and grazing is obligatory during part of the year. The use of supplementary feed is limited.

The ripening phase is another important step in the production of ‘Saint Nectaire’. The ripeners have skills that are essential for the treatment which the cheeses undergo. The cheeses are washed a number of times, then rubbed and turned regularly so that a rind develops.

Specificity of the product

‘Saint Nectaire’ is a cow's milk cheese with a pressed, uncooked paste. It is presented in the form of a slightly tapered cylinder with a maximum diameter of 24 cm and a maximum height of 5,5 cm, which is a modest size compared to other cheeses originating in mountain areas. The mould is white, brown or grey and may reveal a cream-coloured to orange background, possibly with a yellow and/or red bloom. The taste is clean, mild, slightly salty, without excessive acidity, with a variety of milky tastes (fresh milk, cream, butter) and flavours related to the ripening process (cellar, straw mats, earth or undergrowth), often enhanced by an overall subtle nuttiness.

Link

The geographical area corresponds to the area where the different steps in the production of ‘Saint Nectaire’ have always taken place. Certain natural factors, such as the altitude of the grazing land and the flora, and human factors must come together in order to produce the milk and make ‘Saint Nectaire’.

This area with its volcanic soil is favourable to the presence of permanent grassland, where the flora is abundant and perfumed. The frequency of the rainfall brought by the winds from the west that prevail in this high-altitude area allow a nearly continuous irrigation of the grassland, which enhances its richness. As a result of this botanical diversity, the flowers have a number of aromatic compounds (for example terpenes), which are consumed by the cows when they feed on fodder from this grassland.

These factors, together with the production know-how and the treatment which ‘Saint Nectaire’ undergoes during ripening, endow it with a variety of milky tastes (fresh milk, cream, butter) and flavours related to the ripening process (cellar, straw mats, earth or undergrowth), often enhanced by an overall subtle nuttiness.

In addition, the treatment processes administered to ‘Saint Nectaire’ by the ripeners determine how the surface mould will develop and vary in colour between whitish-grey and orangey-brown.

The size of ‘Saint Nectaire’ is linked to its history. Indeed, it was suitable both for farms with small herds (a few cows) and for bigger holdings that sought to increase the value of their relatively limited wintertime milk production and whose more abundant milk production in the summer was used to make ‘Fourme de Cantal’.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-7737d188-1884-4b45-9c2e-9d468ca2a5e8/telechargement

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