EN Official Journal of the European Union C 294/8

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 294/08

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

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘RONCAL’

EC No: ES-PDO-0217-0091-13.11.2008

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

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

—  Name — ☒ Description —  Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Production method —  Link —  Labelling — ☒ National requirements — ☒ Other (to be specified)

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 change in the specification resulting from the imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by the public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendments:

3.1. Description:

The possibility of using milk of ewes of the F1 Lacha x Milchschaf crossbreed in manufacturing the product is withdrawn.

It is made clear that the ewe's milk used in the manufacture of the product must be raw milk.

The possibility of using the raw milk of ewes of the Assaf breed, representing up to 35 % of the total milk used in manufacturing the product, is incorporated. The raw milk of ewes of the Lacha or Rasa breeds is still the main raw material of the product, which shall continue to account for at least 65 % of the total milk used.

The description of the organoleptic characteristics of the product is added.

The values for the weight of the finished product are given.

3.2. Proof of origin:

The evidence that the product originates in the area is specified in greater detail, describing the system of registration of flocks and cheese dairies, the system of certification on the responsibility of the inspection body and the obligations of registered cheese dairies in relation to own checks and traceability.

3.3. Production method:

While it remains unchanged, the method of production is described more precisely, with separate reference to the stages in which the milk is obtained and the cheese produced.

Where obtaining the milk is concerned, the feed regimes of the sheep farms that produce it are specified, as is the temperature at which the milk must be kept, while the system of collecting and transporting the milk is succinctly described.

With an eye to the quality of the final product, restrictions are set on the use of certain covering materials and surface treatment systems in producing the cheese.

3.4. National requirements:

The Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 3 October 2001 approving the amendment of the designation of origin ‘Roncal’ is introduced.

The Community provisions that apply are introduced.

3.5. Other:

It is specified that product that is sold cut must be packaged in the area of origin, on grounds of quality and traceability and basically with the aim of guaranteeing the origin of the product, optimum control thereof and preserving its physical and organoleptic qualities.

The wording of the parts concerning the geographical area and the link thereto has been slightly amended, without entailing any change. The description of the geographical area has been expanded to include the coordinates and references to boundaries and natural geographical features, plus evidence of compliance with the conditions laid down in Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The wording of the link offers more detailed information on the climate, relief and soil conditions of the geographical area.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘RONCAL’

EC No: ES-PDO-0217-0091-13.11.2008

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Roncal’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Product type:

Class 1.3 — Cheese

3.2. Description of the product to which the name in point 1 applies:

General description

Pressed hard cheese made from the raw milk of ewes of the Rasa and Lacha breeds, although this may be mixed with the milk of ewes of the Assaf breed provided the following proportions are observed:

— the milk from ewes of the Lacha or Rasa breed shall represent at least 65 % of the total milk used,

— the milk from ewes of the Assaf breed shall represent no more than 35 % of the total milk used.

‘Roncal’ cheese must be matured for a minimum of four months from the ending of the salting, whereupon it has the following characteristics:

Physical and chemical characteristics

Shape : cylindrical with smooth sides. Height : from 8 cm to 12 cm. Weight : between 0,8 kg and 3 kg. Rind : hard, fat, rough to the touch, fatty, with or without mould and brown or straw-coloured. Body : hard, porous but without eyes, with characteristic aroma and taste, slightly piquant, and yellowish-white in colour when cut. Fat content : more than 45 % by weight of the dry extract. Moisture : less than 40 %.

Organoleptic characteristics

Taste and aromas : intense and penetrating, with predominance of the dairy family, followed by the animal family and possible presence of descriptors of the roast family. As the maturation period increases so does the intensity of animal and roast smells. Elementary flavours : balanced flavours, slight acidity, medium saltiness and little, if any, bitterness. Trigeminal sensations : slight piquant sensation after four months' maturation, increasing with time. Aftertaste : the characteristic taste lingers, without any bitterness or other tastes. Texture : firm, does not split, scarcely grainy, melts relatively easily in the mouth.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

‘Roncal’ cheese is made with the raw milk of ewes from flocks of the breeds indicated, located in the Comunidad Foral de Navarra (Autonomous Community of Navarre), using natural rennet or other authorised coagulating enzymes and sodium chloride.

The milk must not contain colostrum or medicinal products that might have a negative impact on production, maturation and preservation of the cheese.

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

The animals that produce milk for making the cheese graze exclusively in the production area defined in point 4.

The pastures the sheep graze are very varied and rich in native flora. The grassland includes in particular so-called common pastures, shared by neighbours in the valleys, and pastures on more level ground which are grazed in the milking season, while some grass is kept for winter.

Supplementary feed is usually provided when the livestock needs it most, at the end of gestation and lactation, in the form of feed based on cereals, oil seeds, legumes and fodders from the same holding or alfalfa. Supplementary feed may also be given when particularly adverse weather conditions prevent grazing.

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

The milk that is suitable for producing ‘Roncal’ cheese must be obtained in the production area described in point 4.

‘Roncal’ cheese must be produced and aged in the area for production and maturing described in point 4.

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

— ‘Roncal’ cheese may be sold whole or in wedges.

— If the product is sold cut, it must be packaged in the defined geographical area of production. This requirement is based on the following grounds: (a) when the cheese is cut, at least two sides of the wedges lose the protective rind. Thus, to ensure retention of the organoleptic characteristics peculiar to ‘Roncal’ cheese, the wedges obtained when it is cut need to be packaged promptly in order to avoid the risk of dehydration, oxidation and the presence of extraneous colouring; (b) ‘Roncal’ cheese has no brand identifying the PDO on the rind; it is identified by the use of the word ‘Roncal’ on the operator's label and the use of the back labels issued by the inspection body, which are applied directly to the product. As a result, the signs attesting to authenticity may not be visible on some parts after cutting. In order not to compromise the authenticity of the cut product, therefore, it is necessary to package it at origin under the supervision of the inspection body.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Cheeses with the protected designation of origin shall bear the word ‘Roncal’ on the label and shall have a numbered back ticket supplied and checked by the inspection body.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area includes the entire Comunidad Foral de Navarra in the north of the Iberian Peninsula at the western end of the Pyrenees.

The production and maturing area comprises the municipalities of Uztarroz, Isaba, Urzainqui, Roncal, Garde, Vidángoz and Burgui, which make up the Valle del Roncal, an enclave in the north-east of the Comunidad Foral de Navarra.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The characteristic climate and soil conditions of the Valle del Roncal (described below) and how these complement the neighbouring areas have led the shepherds of the area traditionally to practice transhumance, so that their flocks graze the pastures in the south of Navarre in winter and the pastures of the north in summer.

This transhumance meant that, to produce ‘Roncal’ cheese, supplementing the milk from the flocks of the valley, the cheese dairies traditionally used milk supplies from holdings located outside the Valle del Roncal, albeit close to the grazing areas in the natural areas of dissemination of the Rasa and Lacha breeds and within the Comunidad Foral de Navarra. This means that there are two delineated geographical areas, a production area and a processing and maturing area.

Production area of the milk

The Comunidad Foral de Navarra is situated in the area of transition between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean climate. From north-west to south-east there is a pronounced shift, with marked oscillations in rain and temperatures. These differences, with seasonal changes, have made the practice of moving sheep across valleys and hills characteristic of the area which, as well as sparing the herds the harshest conditions, makes pasture available throughout the year.

Precipitation declines in parallel bands from north to south at all times of the year, but the development of pastures in the different seasons means that, across the different seasons and areas, this land is characterised by its varied pastures rich in native flora that are ideally suited to feeding sheep.

The climate determines the management of the sheep population, especially given that the Lacha and Rasa breeds are usually reared in free-range systems. These two kinds of sheep have lived on this land since prehistoric times, and have therefore adapted to this farming system determined by the characteristics of the natural environment.

Area in which the cheese is processed and matured

The Valle del Roncal is characterised by its geographical isolation, boxed in by the Pyrenees. The climate varies between sub-Alpine in the highest parts and sub-Mediterranean in the lowest. The summers are short and temperate, following long, hard winters with prolonged snow cover.

The cheese is made in a traditional system peculiar to the valley, principally characterised by the use of raw ewe's milk, natural rennet or other coagulating enzymes authorised for coagulation and maturing for at least four months from salting.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

Pressed fat cheese, with a naturally hard rind, no coating or surface treatment, porous but with no eyes, white in colour, yellowish-white when cut, with a characteristic intense, penetrating aroma and a characteristic slightly acid taste, buttery on the palate and slightly piquant.

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):

The cheese produced in the Valle de Roncal has a very marked seasonal character, deeply rooted in the traditional production system: lactation from November to March and subsequent maturation of the product in a characteristic area.

Several elements confer the cheese's peculiar organoleptic characteristics:

— the use of raw ewe's milk which has not been heat treated as a raw material makes for high microbial biodiversity that lends the cheese certain specific characteristics during maturing which are of great importance in this cheese which is aged over a very long period,

— the traditional manufacturing system has been maintained since time immemorial: raw ewe's milk, pressed uncooked, enzymatic coagulation and ageing for at least four months, with a natural rind,

— coagulation using rennet, lactic starters and bacteria present in the raw ewe's milk, combined with maturing for at least four months, brings a characteristic piquant sensation and (low water activity and pH) guarantees the absence of pathogenic microorganisms,

— the conditions under which the cheese matures exclusively in the Valle de Roncal determine the enzymatic activities (protein and fat breakdown) and microbial activities (lactococci, lactobacilli, enterococci, etc.) that give the cheese its peculiar organoleptic characteristics,

— the curing and maturing of the cheese with a natural rind, without surface treatment, gives it a peculiar rind that distinguishes it commercially.

the Lacha and Rasa breeds predominantly used to produce the milk have lived in the production area since prehistoric times, and are therefore perfectly adapted to the harsh weather conditions and the specific characteristics of the pasture on which they live, the flora of which lend the cheese certain very peculiar organoleptic characteristics.

Reference to the publication of the specification:

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

http://www.navarra.es/NR/rdonlyres/E04A0F92-7922-42E2-A2BA-EEA2D24C8527/223122/PliegoDOPRONCAL184122.pdf

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