EN Official Journal of the European Union C 322/4

Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2012/C 322/04

This publication confers the right to object to the amendment application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘CASATELLA TREVIGIANA’

EC No: IT-PDO-0105-0982-19.03.2012

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment:

—  Name of product — ☒ Product description —  Geographical area —  Proof of origin — ☒ Production method —  Link —  Labelling —  National requirements —  Other [ ]

2. Type of amendment:

— ☒ Amendment to single document or summary sheet —  Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor the summary has been published —  Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) —  Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phyto-sanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s):

3.1. Description of product:

Provision is made for a smaller size than that in the current specification. Currently, the minimum weight laid down for the ‘small size’ is 0,25 kg. The request is to produce ‘small size’‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO with a minimum weight of 0,20 kg and a consequent change in the diameter from 8-12 cm to 5-12 cm.

The size of the heel remains the same (4-6 cm).

This change is required because this format is classified for sale as ‘single portion’ and is designed to suit the needs of small families and single people. It would broaden the range of target consumers for the product, improve the positioning of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO in organised distribution chains and thus lead to wider distribution regionally, nationally and internationally.

3.2. Method of production:

The list of breeds now includes Burlina and its cross-breeds, which were left out in error from the specification approved previously. The Burlina breed is indigenous to the Veneto region and has always been present in most herds; until around 1930 it was the most common dairy breed, with over 15 000 head. Milk from Burlina cows was used to produce typical cheeses. Subsequently, the number of cattle fell considerably. From 1985, thanks to the creation of the register of indigenous bovine breeds and geographically concentrated ethnic groups, and also to projects to improve milk quality, there has been renewed growth in the Burlina population, whose milk is ideally suited to the production of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CASATELLA TREVIGIANA’

EC No: IT-PDO-0105-0982-19.03.2012

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Casatella Trevigiana’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Italy

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 point 1 applies:

A soft cheese obtained by curdling whole milk from the following breeds of cattle only: Friesian, Pezzata Rossa, Bruna, Burlina and their cross-breeds. On release for consumption, it has the following organoleptic characteristics: soft consistency, glossy, slightly creamy, melts in the mouth and has a milky white to creamy colour. Tiny, faint eyes may be apparent. The consistency of the cheese is such that ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO cannot be classed either as a ‘spreadable’ or very creamy cheese.

The cheese has little to no rind, and traditionally comes in a cylindrical shape.

It has a delicate, milky and fresh aroma.

The cheese tastes sweet and milky, with slightly acidic veins.

Chemical properties: Moisture content: 53-60 % Fat: 18-25 % on wet basis Protein: > 12 % on wet basis

Physical properties: Shape: cylindrical Weight: Large size: 1,8-2,2 kg Small size: 0,20-0,70 kg Diameter: Large size: 18-22 cm Small size: 5-12 cm Heel: Large size: 5-8 cm Small size: 4-6 cm

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

The milk used in the production of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO must come from farms in the relevant geographical area (province of Treviso).

The milk sent for processing must contain over 3,2 % fat. The milk must not contain preservatives and the use of beestings or milk from evidently diseased cows is prohibited. The milk must be conserved on the farm by refrigeration. In any event, the cheese-making process must begin within 48 hours of milking.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

The diet given to cows producing milk for the production of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO must meet the following requirements:

— at least 90 % must consist of feedstuffs from the area indicated in point 4.3,

— at least 60 % of the dry matter fed daily to lactating cattle must come from forage,

— the following feedstuffs, which are not typical of the production area, may not be used: fodder beet, fruit or residues from citrus or olive processing, sainfoin or sulla, whole vegetables or residues from artichoke, cauliflower, turnip or tomato processing.

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

The whole production process (cattle rearing, milk production, coagulation, processing of the curds, forming, draining, salting and maturing of the cheese) must take place within the area indicated in point 4.

The processing of the milk involves the following stages: rearing the cattle, milk production, processing and maturing.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO must be packaged when released for consumption. Since ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO is a highly perishable and delicate soft cheese, long journeys in its unpackaged state may undermine its organoleptic, chemical and physical properties and in particular may alter the length and type of maturing.

To ensure that the product retains its typical qualitative properties, therefore, the delay between production and packaging must be limited. For this reason, packaging must be carried out within the production area to guarantee distinctiveness, traceability and control, and to ensure that the cheese retains its chemical, physical and organoleptic properties.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO cheese is identified by the label shown below:

The indication ‘Denominazione d’Origine Protetta’ may be replaced by the acronym ‘DOP’ (PDO).

The proportions of the upper and lower parts of the label as shown above may not be changed. The label must appear on the outer protective wrapping of the cheese.

The external wrapping may not carry any promotional or misleading information.

The size of the label must be proportional to the size of the packaging, as follows: the size of the total width of the word ‘Casatella’ may not be less than 80 % of the diameter of the package.

Given the type of cheese, no information may be affixed directly onto the product itself.

The use of packaging containing the logo and wording as described is mandatory.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The whole of the province of Treviso.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The properties and qualitative characteristics of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO stem directly from its local, family-based and rural origins, artisanal developments in cheese-making techniques and the indigenous bacterial strains that have evolved in the production area. Specifically, the quality and distinctiveness of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO cheese are a direct product of the characteristics of the indigenous microbiotic flora contained in the milk and of processing temperatures and stages which determine the selection of species, strains and concentrations.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

‘Casatella Trevigiana’ has a soft consistency, is glossy and slightly creamy, melts in the mouth and has a milky white to creamy colour; tiny, faint eyes may be apparent.

The cheese has little to no rind and traditionally comes in a cylindrical shape; it has a delicate, milky and fresh aroma, and a sweet, milky taste with slightly acidic veins.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

Recent studies show that the microbiotic flora that has evolved within the defined area over the years contain various strains of bacteria of thermophilic streptococci, the properties and metabolic activities of which are key not only for the acidification process but also in contributing to the sensory properties of the product, such as the distinctive, slightly acidic taste of the mature cheese.

Likewise, the presence — though in smaller concentrations — of thermophilic lactobacilli, which have a higher proteolytic activity, ensures that caseins are broken down, with the production of molecules or their precursors that influence the consistency, maturity and taste of the cheese under conditions that are peculiar to this specific area and cannot be reproduced elsewhere.

The particular processing technique used by the producers, including coagulation at a low temperature, was developed traditionally to exploit and increase the presence of thermophilic streptococci and lactobacilli.

This brings out and defines the main sensory and organoleptic characteristics of ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ PDO.

This typical Treviso cheese is the product of a longstanding tradition of home-made cheese production. Production techniques were passed down by word of mouth and based on very simple cheese-making methods. The true origin of the cheese, therefore, is in traditional Treviso dairies, classified since 1962 as ‘remote’.

There are many written records testifying that ‘Casatella’ cheese originates in the province of Treviso.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Casatella Trevigiana’ as a protected designation of origin in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 157 of 8 July 2011.

The full text of the product specification is available on the following website:

http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or

by going direct to the home page of the Ministry (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti di Qualità’ (on the left of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE [regolamento (CE) n. 510/2006]’.

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.