Publication of an application for approval of amendments, which are 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 83/15)

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 MELUN’

EU No: PDO-FR-00111-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 refiners of ‘Brie de Melun’. 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)

☐ Name of product

☒ Description of product

☒ Geographical area

☒ Proof of Origin

☒ Method of production

☒ Link

☒ Labelling

☒ Other: contact details of the inspection body, 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 product’

The sentences:

‘“Brie de Melun” is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is produced from lactic curd and slowly drained.’

have been replaced by:

‘“Brie de Melun” is a soft cheese made exclusively from raw cow’s milk. It is a predominantly lactic cheese.’

The physical appearance of the cheese has been described more accurately, with the addition that ‘Brie de Melun’ belongs to the category of cheeses with ‘a “bloomy” rind’.

The words ‘made exclusively’ have also been used in the ‘Method of production’ section of the specification in order to highlight the fact that raw milk is the only milk used – a particularity of ‘Brie de Melun’.

The reference to the type of curd has been corrected. The curd is not ‘lactic’ as such but ‘predominantly lactic’, having a direct impact on the texture of the body and the aromas of the cheese.

This sentence has also been added in the Single Document replacing the sentence ‘Soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk, rind covered with a fine crust [...]’ from the summary.

The sentence:

‘It is in the shape of a flat cylinder measuring approximately 27 cm in diameter and 3 cm in height.’

has been replaced by:

‘The cheese comes in the form of a flat cylinder with pointed or rounded edges. It is cast in moulds with an internal diameter of between 27 cm and 28 cm. ’ The description of the product has been supplemented by adding that the edges may be ‘pointed or rounded’.

The dimensions of the cheeses sometimes proved to be inaccurate due to deformation of the cheeses when maturing. It has therefore been added that the size corresponds to the internal diameter of the moulds. The thickness of the cheeses (3 cm) has been deleted as their height depends on the ratio of the diameter of the cheese to its weight. This clarification was therefore not needed.

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

Reference to the felt-like coating being ‘white’ (in accordance with the summary) has been added, thereby describing more accurately the physical appearance of the rind or ‘bloom’. The coating is linked to the development of Penicillium candidum.

As the rind can also have red or brown patches due to the development of other cultures, the words ‘or brown’ have been added to the Single Document to supplement the word ‘red’ used in the summary.

The sentence:

‘It contains at least 45 % fat and 40 % dry matter.’

has been replaced by:

‘[...] contains at least 45 grams of fat per 100 grams of total cheese dry matter and at least 40 grams of dry matter per 100 grams of cheese. ’

The fat content is expressed in grams per 100 grams of total cheese dry matter instead of as a percentage. Similarly, the dry matter content is expressed in grams of dry matter per 100 g of cheese instead of as a percentage.

This sentence has also been added to the Single Document.

The concept of ‘uniform cream shade’ has been deleted as the colour of the body varies from the centre to the rind, so it is not uniform. Moreover, the colour is not constant and may vary according to the season and the cows’ feed.

The following paragraph has been added:

‘After ripening for five weeks, “Brie de Melun” will be white in colour. The body is crumbly and slightly runny beneath the rind. It has an initially milky, then yeasty flavour and a slightly acidic taste. Between five and eight weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, developing a supple consistency. Its aroma develops gradually. After eight to ten weeks, the “Brie de Melun” is fully mature, with a uniform body and a consistency which varies from supple to slightly runny. It has a hint of bitterness, a milky taste and a lasting flavour. It has an animal and plant-based aroma of balanced proportions. ’

The appearance of the body is described in line with the ripening stage of the cheese.

The consistency changes from ‘crumbly’ (cheese at five weeks) to ‘supple to slightly runny’ (cheese at eight to ten weeks).

With regard to the organoleptic criteria, at the end of the minimum maturing period (five weeks), the ‘Brie de Melun’ has a milky, then yeasty flavour and a slightly acidic taste. Between five and eight weeks its aroma develops. By eight to ten weeks it has a hint of bitterness, a milky taste and a lasting flavour. It has an animal and plant-based aroma of balanced proportions.

This paragraph has also been added to the Single Document.

The sentence:

‘Maturing lasts at least four weeks from the date of production.’

has been replaced by:

‘Maturing lasts for at least five weeks from the date of renneting.’

The ripening time has also been included in the ‘Method of production’ section of the specification. This has been increased from four to five weeks in order to emphasise the typical characteristics of the product and take into account actual practice among operators. In certain cases, four weeks is not enough to obtain the characteristics of ‘Brie de Melun’.

The sentence:

‘After ripening for four weeks, cheeses will weigh between 1,5 kilograms and 1,8 kilograms. ’

has been replaced by:

‘Cheeses will weigh between 1,5 kilograms and 2,2 kilograms. ’

This range takes into account the marketing of ‘Brie de Melun’ at different ripening stages. The more mature the cheese, the more it loses water, so its weight decreases. Below 1,5 kg, it is too dry and no longer displays the characteristics of the PDO.

This sentence has also been added to the Single Document to replace the words ‘1,5 kg average weight’ in the summary.

The following sentence has been added:

‘The “Brie de Melun” may be divided into halves or triangular portions (cut from the centre to the rind) at the end of the minimum five-week maturing period’.

‘Brie de Melun’ is rarely sold whole to the final consumer because it is a large cheese. Segmentation rules have been 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 has also been added that cheeses may only be segmented at the end of the five-week minimum maturing period.

This sentence has also been added to the Single Document.

5.2. ‘Geographical area’

A list of communes in the geographical area has been added in order to facilitate checks. This list covers all the communes in the geographical area where all stages in milk production, cheese-making and maturing may be carried out, on the basis of the 2017 French Official Geographic Code.

5.3. ‘Proof of origin’

The declaration requirements applying to producers have been added. These amendments are linked to changes in national rules and legislation. They include:

— 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

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

Livestock

The following definition of the dairy herd has been added: all dairy cows on the holding, including weaned heifers and dry cows. The herd has been defined in this way so as 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 following composition of the dairy herd has been added: 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.

It has been added that bulls chosen for breeding (insemination and natural service) must be those which enhance protein content, thereby ensuring that milk produced in the geographical area can continue to be processed into ‘Brie de Melun’.

Housing

It has been added that the use of straw for dairy cows’ bedding is compulsory as it is traditional practice in the geographical area for dairy cows to have straw bedding in their sheds. This type of housing supports a microbial ecosystem that influences the natural flora of the raw milk, which in turn contributes to the specific characteristics of ‘Brie de Melun’. 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 cover in order to preserve its quality.

Feed for dairy cows

The following definition of the total ration has been added: ‘all coarse fodder (basic ration) and concentrates distributed’. Furthermore, grass has also been defined as follows: ‘all grass-based and/or legume-based products sourced from permanent, temporary or artificial pasture’ to allow for a better understanding of the provisions of the specification during checks.

It has been added that 80 % of the dry matter in the herd’s total ration must come from the geographical area and 50 % 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 has been added to paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

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 not available in sufficient quantity to cover the needs of lactating dairy cows. Farmers can thus use feed that is not from the area for a maximum of 20 % of the dry matter in the total feed ration.

The local cattle 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 has therefore been added:

— the list of authorised coarse 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). Extra detail has also been added regarding the method for distributing fodder beet, potatoes and green fodder.

— the basic ration must be composed of at least three components, including two mandatory components: 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 (a minimum of 2 kg of dry matter per dairy cow in production per day).

This provision has been added to paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

It has been added that the main feed component may not exceed 60 % of the fodder volume in order to ensure a diversified feed ration. However, if the main feed component is grass, this percentage may be exceeded. In such cases, the requirement that feed must comprise three components does not need to be met.

This provision has been added to paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

It has been added that the share of concentrated feed is limited to 25 % of the dry matter in the total average annual feed ration per dairy cow to emphasise the importance of coarse fodder in the dairy cows’ feed and thus strengthen the link with the geographical area.

This provision and the following list have also been added to paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document.

A list of authorised concentrates and their method of distribution have been added:

— cereal grains and products derived therefrom,

— legume seeds and products derived therefrom,

— oil seeds, oil fruits, and products derived therefrom,

— beet molasses or sugar cane,

— whey (for farm-based producers only),

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

— zootechnical additives.

A minimum grazing time of five months for heifers in the geographical area has also been added.

It has been added that the sowing of transgenic crops on all areas of a holding producing milk intended for processing into cheese with a ‘Brie de Melun’ 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 (50 % of the dry matter in the herd’s total ration must come from the holding).

Maintenance of forage areas

Conditions on the spreading of organic manure have been added (a minimum of 30 days between organic fertilisation and mowing or grazing of grassland, 21 days in the case of compost, monitoring 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 as ‘Brie de Melun’ is made from raw milk.

Production conditions

Paragraphs on the milk used, the cheese-making process (renneting, moulding, draining, salting, drying/exudation), transport before maturing, refining and shipping have been added.

Information has also been added to this section to describe the techniques used to produce ‘Brie de Melun’. |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.

The milk used

A maximum time limit has been added for milk to be collected and used: 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 has been 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-maturing and/or a maturing process. The pre-maturing phase lasts for less than 48 hours at a maximum temperature of 35 °C;

— the maturing phase lasts for less than 7 hours at a maximum temperature of 31 °C;

— in addition to the dairy raw 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: microfiltered, recombinant, reconstituted or diluted milk. In particular, the addition of milk powder is also prohibited except for the starter cultures. The use of fully or partly concentrated milk through whatever process (ultrafiltration, microfiltration or another method) is also forbidden;

— 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 4 % 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 Melun’.

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

Processing

The following has been 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 Melun’;

— traditional materials (wood, straw, rushes) are authorised for the cheese-making and maturing stages (this concerns in particular the boards or mats used for draining the cheeses and the turning of the cheeses when maturing).

Reference has been added to the point at which the cheese-making and maturing periods begin, i.e. from the renneting date.

- Renneting

The sentence:

‘The milk may only be heated once, at the time of renneting, to a maximum temperature of 30 °C.’

has been replaced by:

‘During renneting, the temperature of the milk may not exceed 31 °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 21 °D, milk temperature less than or equal to 31 °C) and the pH when coagulation is complete (pH less than 4,8 or acidity greater than 60 ° Dornic) have been added as they describe the typical ‘Brie de Melun’ technique.

The sentence ‘Coagulation lasts a minimum of eighteen hours’ (also mentioned in the summary) has been replaced by ‘Coagulation lasts a minimum of sixteen hours.’. The reason for this is that the parameters are comfortably met as of sixteen hours of coagulation.

The nature of the rennet has been added. It is of bovine origin, which means that rennet of plant or microbial origin may not be used. The doses used have also been added, namely a maximum dose of 15 mg per 100 l of milk and a maximum chymosin strength of 750 mg/l.

- Moulding:

A reminder of the internal dimensions of the moulds specified under the heading ‘Description of product’ has been added.

It now states that the curd may be sliced and that it is stirred (this splits up the cheese and starts the draining process). It has also been added that the curd is placed into its mould on boards or mats so that the whey drains off.

The sentence ‘The resulting body, which is very fragile, must be handled with extreme care’ has been deleted as this is impossible to check with accuracy.

- Draining:

A minimum drain time of 18 hours has been added, replacing the reference to ‘slow’ in the current specification due to the nature of the predominantly lactic curd. It has also been added that draining occurs spontaneously and that the cheese is turned at least twice to encourage the whey to be removed by gravity. The 36-hour draining period referred to in the summary was a transcription error and does not reflect the production method used.

- Salting

Reference has been added to the cheese being salted on both sides and along its heel within 48 hours of being removed from its mould so that the salt penetrates the entire body of the cheese evenly. The requirement mentioned in the current summary – but not in the specification – according to which salting must be carried out by hand, is incorrect. Mechanical salting allows for more regular and even salting now that the mechanical techniques for doing so are efficient and well controlled.

- Drying/exudation

It has been added that after draining, cheeses may be place on a board or mat made of plant-based material as this helps with the drying process.

It is now stated that after salting, cheeses are left to dry for a minimum of ten days at a temperature of between 6 °C and 12 °C.

- Transportation before maturing

It has been added that ‘fresh salt’ cheeses (i.e. cheeses made less than seven days ago) may be sent to cheese refiners. The transport conditions have been added to ensure that this does not overly interrupt the cheeses’ development, i.e. transport at plus temperatures of up to 12 °C for no more than 24 hours. Any journey longer than 24 hours must be added to the five-week minimum maturing period.

- Maturing

It has been added that the minimum maturing period is counted from the date of renneting rather than the date of manufacture. This is more precise and ensures that checks are objective. Furthermore, this period has been increased from four to five weeks in order to emphasise the typical characteristics of the product and take into account current practice among operators.

Maturing conditions have been added in accordance with current practices.

— temperature of between 4 °C and 14 °C;

— humidity of between 80 % and 98 %;

— turning at least once per week in order to ensure uniform development of the bloomy rind on both sides;

— turning by hand due to the crumbly, and therefore fragile, curd;

— maturing on wooden boards permitted. This traditional technique is still commonly used.

- Dispatch

It is been added that ‘Brie de Melun’ is packaged by wrapping it 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 have been 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 has been entirely rewritten to make the link between ‘Brie de Melun’ and its geographical area clearer, without altering the substance of the link itself. Particular emphasis has been placed on how the milk production conditions allow the use of raw milk suitable for cheese making, which requires specific know-how and maturing 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 aspects first presented 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 has been deleted.

The following has been added:

‘The labelling of “Brie de Melun” must include:

— the name of the designation

— the European Union’s PDO logo. ’

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

5.7. ‘Other’

The address of the responsible department in the Member State has been updated.

The name and contact details of the group have been updated.

Under the heading on the geographical area:

— the words ‘Brie natural region with the Melun plains situated at its heart’ have been deleted as they do not describe the boundaries of the geographical area;

Under the heading on references to the inspection bodies, the name and contact details of the official bodies have been updated. This section provides 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 has been added that the name and contact details of the certification body may 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 has been added.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘BRIE DE MELUN’

EU No: PDO-FR-00111-AM01 – 26 September 2018

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Brie de Melun’

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 Melun’ is a soft cheese made exclusively from raw cow’s milk. It is a predominantly lactic cheese.

The cheese comes in the form of a flat cylinder with pointed or rounded edges. It is cast in moulds with an internal diameter of between 27 cm and 28 cm.

‘Brie de Melun’ has a fine rind or ‘bloom’ covered in a felt-like white coating, strewn with red or brown streaks or patches.

Its body is slightly salty and contains at least 45 grams of fat per 100 grams of total cheese dry matter and at least 40 grams of dry matter per 100 grams of cheese.

The minimum maturing time is five weeks from the date of renneting. At this point, cheeses weigh between 1,5 kilograms and 2,2 kilograms.

After ripening for five weeks, ‘Brie de Melun’ will be white in colour. The body is crumbly and slightly runny beneath the rind. It has an initially milky, then yeasty flavour and a slightly acidic taste. Between five and eight weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, developing a supple consistency. Its aroma develops gradually. After eight to ten weeks, the ‘Brie de Melun’ is fully mature, with a uniform body and a consistency which varies from supple to slightly runny. It has a hint of bitterness, a milky taste and a lasting flavour. It has an animal and plant-based aroma of balanced proportions.

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

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

The dairy cows’ basic feed ration is varied. Each day of the year it comprises a minimum of three components, two of which must be present, namely:

— fresh or preserved grass corresponding to at least 4 kg of dry matter. Grass is either grazed by the dairy cows or fed to them. Moreover, a minimum of 2 kg of the dry matter must be produced from a fodder legume.

— Beet pulp or fodder beet, with a minimum of 2 kg of dry matter.

The main feeding stuff may not exceed 60 % of the basic feed ration in dry matter. Where the feed ration is more than 60 % grass, the three components are not required.

Intake of concentrated feed is capped at 25 % of the dry matter in the total average annual feed ration per dairy cow per day. The following are authorised:

— cereal grains and products derived therefrom,

— legume seeds and products derived therefrom,

— oil seeds, oil fruits, and products derived therefrom,

— beet molasses or sugar cane,

— whey (for farm-based producers only),

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

— zootechnical additives.

At least 80 % of the dry matter in the total feed ration of the dairy herd must come from the geographical area. Furthermore, the average annual share of feed coming from the geographical area and from the holding must represent at least 50 % of the dry matter in the total feed ration of the herd.

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 20 % of the dry matter in the total feed ration.

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

‘Brie de Melun’ 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. Due to the crumbly body of the cheese, the packaging used must allow the cheese to be handled without it breaking.

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

The labelling of ‘Brie de Melun’ must include:

— the name of the designation

— the European Union’s PDO logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Department of Seine-et-Marne (77);

Department of Aube (10):

Communes fully included in the geographical area: Avant-Les-Marcilly, Avon-La-Peze, Bercenay-Le-Hayer, Bourdenay, Bouy-Sur-Orvin, Charmoy, Courceroy, Dierrey-Saint-Julien, Dierrey-Saint-Pierre, Echemines, Faux-Villecerf, Fay-Les-Marcilly, Ferreux-Quincey, Fontaine-Macon, Fontenay-De-Bossery, Gumery, La Louptiere-Thenard, Marcilly-Le-Hayer, Marigny-Le-Chatel, Marnay-Sur-Seine, Le Meriot, Mesnil-Saint-Loup, La Motte-Tilly, Nogent-Sur-Seine, Planty, Pont-Sur-Seine, Pouy-Sur-Vannes, Prunay-Belleville, Rigny-La-Nonneuse, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Flavy, Saint-Lupien, Saint-Nicolas-La-Chapelle, Soligny-Les-Etangs, Trainel, Trancault, Villadin;

Communes partially included in the geographical area: Aix-Villemaur-Palis;

Department of Yonne (89): La Belliole, Brannay, Champigny, La Chapelle-Sur-Oreuse, Chaumont, Cheroy, Compigny, Courlon-Sur-Yonne, Courtoin, Cuy, Dollot, Domats, Evry, Foucheres, Gisy-Les-Nobles, Jouy, Lixy, Michery, Montacher-Villegardin, Pailly, Plessis-Saint-Jean, Pont-Sur-Yonne, Saint-Agnan, Saint-Serotin, Saint-Valerien, Savigny-Sur-Clairis, Serbonnes, Sergines, Thorigny-Sur-Oreuse, Vallery, Vernoy, Villeblevin, Villebougis, Villemanoche, Villenavotte, Villeneuve-La-Dondagre, Villeneuve-La-Guyard, Villeperrot, Villeroy, Villethierry, Perceneige, Vinneuf.

5. Link with the geographical area

The geographical area of ‘Brie de Melun’ PDO is the Brie natural region located in the eastern part of the Île-de-France region. It comprises a natural area clearly demarcated by its soil composition and relief. The landscape of the geographical area consists of large plateaus extending for the most part across the downstream end of the Marne Valley to the central section of the Seine Valley. Its impermeable subsoil prevents water infiltration and sculpts multiple valleys into the landscape.

The loess-covered plateaus are fertile and conducive to growing cereals and fodder crops. The clay-covered slopes of the modest valleys are less well suited to growing cereals and have pastures suitable for grazing, like those found on valley floors.

Historically, the plateaus were given over to cereal crops, with livestock rearing confined to the valleys and the slopes, where the town of Melun 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 large quantities of fodder to be produced for feeding animals. Since then, some cereal farms in the Brie region have 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 into 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 included a large number of cereal by-products (straw, chaff and bran), as well as oilseed cake and beet.

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 19th century, with cheese production becoming profitable, production conditions improved. Better command of the technology led to the emergence of two types of cheese: small-format ‘Brie de Melun’ used lactic curd-type techniques and larger cheeses used rennet-type techniques.

Use is still being made of this range of expertise today, namely the production of protein-rich milk suited to processing into cheese, milk ripening and slow coagulation to produce lactic curd, followed by stirring of the curd and casting in small moulds.

‘Brie de Melun’ is a soft cheese made from raw cow’s milk, with a ‘bloomy’ rind. It is a predominantly lactic cheese.

Made in cylindrical moulds with a diameter of 27 to 28 centimetres, it is pancake-shaped with pointed or rounded edges.

When matured, it has a fine rind covered in a felt-like white coating, strewn with red or brown streaks or patches.

After five weeks’ maturing, ‘Brie de Melun’ has a crumbly body which is slightly runny beneath the rind. It has an initially milky, then yeasty flavour and a slightly acidic taste.

Between five and eight weeks, it matures gently from the rind to the centre, developing a supple consistency and its aroma. After eight to ten weeks, the ‘Brie de Melun’ is fully matured and has a consistency ranging from supple to slightly runny. It has a hint of bitterness, a milky taste and a lasting flavour.

In this cereal-oriented region, mixed crop/livestock farms use legumes, beet and a wide 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.

Besides the feeding conditions of the cows, ‘Brie de Melun’ owes its specific nature to the fact that only raw milk is used to produce it and from its lactic production technology. This requires know-how which producers in the geographical area have developed and preserved.

Originally developed on farms using methods of production that required basic equipment and gave farmers flexibility to go about their different tasks, this know-how is illustrated in particular through the way the milk is ripened, the slow coagulation (minimum of 16 hours), the breaking down and stirring of the curd to begin draining it in vats and the use of small moulds due to the crumbliness of the cheese.

Finally, the treatment of the cheeses from the time of dry salting and throughout the maturing process allows the ‘Brie de Melun’ 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/CDC-BrieMelun-190507.pdf

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