Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is 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

(2022/C 229/06)

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 AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘Murazzano’

EU No: PDO-IT-0015-AM01 - 18.11.2020

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Murazzano DOP [‘Murazzano’ PDO Cheese Protection Association], via Piazza Oberto, 1 – 12060 Bossolasco (CN), Italy. Email: consorzio.murazzano@gmail.com; Certified Email: consorziomurazzano@sicurezzapostale.it.

The Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Murazzano DOP [‘Murazzano’ PDO Cheese Protection Association] is made up of ‘Murazzano’ cheese producers and is entitled to submit an amendment application pursuant to Article 13(1) of Decree No 12511 of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy of 14 October 2013.

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

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: Reorganisation of the product specification; redrafting of the article on controls and insertion of details of the control body

4. Type of amendment(s)

☐ Amendment to 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.

☒ Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

It should first be stated that the main reason for amending the product specification for ‘Murazzano’ is to bring the rules for ‘Murazzano’ PDO together in one document and to add some information that was not present when the product was registered, thus bringing the product specification and the single document into line with the legislative requirements.

‘Murazzano’ was registered as a PDO by Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 26 June 1996, pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92. The documents on the basis of which registration was obtained were Presidential Decree No 334 of 30 June 1983, by means of which the designation of origin was recognised in Italy, a four-page document entitled ‘Murazzano’ D.O.P. [‘Murazzano’ PDO] and the summary.

The product specification is currently broken down into three articles: Article 1 contains the recognition of the product name; Article 2 defines the recognised product, how it is to be produced and its characteristics; Article 3 defines the production area.

The summary contains information on the name, the description of the product, the geographical area, the method of production, the link with the geographical area and some details on labelling and controls.

Name of product

This amendment merely concerns the form of the text. It concerns Article 1 of the existing product specification (Presidential Decree No 334 of 30 June 1983).

Current version:

‘Article 1 The designation of origin of “Murazzano” cheese is hereby recognised and its use is reserved for the product meeting the requirements laid down in this decree as regards the processing methods and the organoleptic and product characteristics deriving from the production area defined in Article 3 below.’

New version:

‘Article 1 Name The protected designation of origin of “Murazzano” cheese is reserved for the product meeting the requirements laid down in this product specification as regards the processing methods and the organoleptic and product characteristics deriving from the production area defined in Article 3 below.’

Description of product

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification (Presidential Decree No 334 of 30 June 1983) and point 3.2 of the single document.

Current version:

‘Full-fat, fresh cheese produced exclusively from ewe’s milk or from a mixture of a minimum of 60 % ewe’s milk to which cow’s milk has been added up to a maximum of 40 %.

Shape: cylindrical with flat faces that have a slightly raised edge.

Size: diameter of approx. 10-15 cm, edge height approx. 3-4 cm with upwards or downwards variations depending on the length of the production period.

Weight: 300 to 400 g.

Colour of the paste: milky white.

Texture of the paste: soft, slightly firm, sometimes with a small number of eyes, finely grained, neither colour pigments nor specific flavourings are used.

Outer layer: no rind, fresh cheeses are milky white, whilst a fine, straw-yellow film forms on cheeses that have ripened for longer.

Taste: fine, delicately fragrant, with a pleasant flavour bringing to mind ewe’s milk.

Fat content in the dry matter: at least 50 %.’

New version:

‘The designation of origin “Murazzano” is reserved for cheese having the following characteristics: full-fat, fresh cheese produced exclusively from ewe’s milk from sheep of the Delle Langhe breed or from a mixture of a minimum of 60 % ewe’s milk to which cow’s milk has been added up to a maximum of 40 %. It is used as a table cheese and has the characteristics listed below. Shape: cylindrical with flat faces that have a slightly raised edge. Size: diameter of approx. 10-15 cm, edge height approx. 3-4 cm. Weight: 250 to 400 g. The size and weight refer to the cheese after the minimum ripening period. Description of the paste: soft, slightly firm, sometimes with a small number of eyes, finely grained; as the cheese ripens, the colour goes from milky white to straw yellow; the texture changes with ripening, from soft to increasingly firm with the gradual loss of moisture, eventually becoming semi-hard or hard. Neither colour pigments nor specific flavourings are used. Outer layer: fresh cheeses have no rind, the outer layer is milky white, sometimes with a fine, straw-yellow film that becomes gradually darker. Taste: fine, delicately fragrant, with a pleasant flavour bringing to mind ewe’s milk; as the cheese ripens, its smell and taste become stronger. Fat content in the dry matter: minimum of 50 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced exclusively from ewe’s milk and 47 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced from mixed ewe’s and cow’s milk.’

The minimum weight has been changed from 300 g to 250 g.

This amendment is necessary in order to meet market demand and to facilitate the work of small-scale producers at times of the year when milk production is lower. It has also been specified that the weights refer to the cheese after the minimum ripening period, since ripening or maturing for a prolonged period cause a loss of moisture and thus of weight and size.

The minimum fat content in the dry matter has been reduced from a minimum of 53 % to a minimum of 50 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced exclusively from ewe’s milk and from a minimum of 50 % to a minimum of 47 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced from mixed ewe’s and cow’s milk. This was done on the basis of the following observations and considerations:

The fat figure laid down in the 1983 product specification was taken from a study dating back to 1964. That study concerned a livestock rearing situation that was very different from today. It is enough to say that in those days the Delle Langhe sheep breed numbered more than 30 000 animals, whereas nowadays there are only 2 000 left, and to consider all of the consequences of genetic impoverishment that such a major reduction can bring in terms of selective breeding.

The average output recorded in 1963 was around 100 kg per animal, whereas nowadays it is around 150 kg per animal.

There are no data concerning the figure for fat in the ewe’s milk at the time of the 1964 study, but it is clear that the fat content in cheese is influenced by the content of the various components (fat, protein, lactose, ash) in the milk from which it is made. In consequence, an increase in output has a negative effect on the percentage content of fat, protein, etc. in a single litre of milk.

A recent, in-depth study on this issue carried out by the University of Turin in 2012 revealed that the fat content in milk varies significantly between holdings, with this undoubtedly being influenced by genetic factors as well as by the feeding practices kept up in accordance with tradition. Another undoubtedly relevant factor is that, as this is very much a craft product, a significant degree of variation was found in the fat residue in the whey, i.e. in the fat lost during processing and not retained in the curds.

These figures naturally had a significant impact on the fat content of the cheese, so much so that the University of Turin observed that on many occasions the fat content in ‘Murazzano’ was lower than that indicated in 1964 and subsequently in the 1983 product specification.

What is more, it can be assumed that the figures given in the existing product specification were determined using less precise analysis techniques than those available today.

Reference to the Delle Langhe breed has been added with regard to the ewe’s milk.

Until now, this detail had been mentioned only in the document entitled ‘Murazzano’ mentioned in the introduction. It has thus been added to Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.2 of the single document.

The description of the colour of the paste, outer layer and taste have been supplemented by adding the characteristics of ‘Murazzano’ that has been ripened for longer, so as to make the description of ‘Murazzano’ consistent with the amendment made concerning the longer ripening period (see the amendment to the method of production outlined below).

Proof of origin

A specific article has been added to the product specification so as to bring it into line with the legislation in force.

The new article reads as follows:

‘Article 4 Proof of origin Each stage in the production process is monitored, with all inputs and outputs being recorded. The traceability of the product is ensured in this way, as well as by entering all participants in the product chain in special lists kept by the control body and the timely declaration to the control body of quantities produced. All natural and legal persons entered in the relevant lists are subject to checks by the control body in accordance with the product specification and the associated control plan.’

Method of production

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification. The part on feed and the number of milkings has been amended and the coagulation temperature tolerance and ripening period have been specified.

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document – feed.

Current version:

‘The diet of the sheep and, where relevant, cattle must be composed of green or hay fodder from the production area.’

New version:

‘The annual feed ration of the livestock whose milk is to be processed into “Murazzano” PDO cheese must be composed of green or conserved fodder, making up at least 70 % of the dry matter, and concentrated or complementary feedingstuffs, making up at most 30 % of the dry matter. At least 80 % of the fodder must come from the area of origin. Grazing is practised when the season allows it. Feed sourced from outside the defined geographical area may in no case exceed 50 % of the dry matter on an annual basis. Vitamin and mineral supplements are allowed up to the limits allowed by law.’

The production area lies entirely on non-irrigated land in high or moderately high hills. Therefore, fodder production can fall in years of low rainfall, which is also linked to climate change.

For some years now, the area of origin has also seen a very large-scale intensification of hazelnut growing and, to a lesser extent, wine growing, with a consequent reduction in the available forage areas. To this should be added the increasing presence of wolves, which attack flocks and frighten sheep, causing difficulties with grazing in more disadvantaged areas that are more difficult to mow. This increasingly means that use is sometimes made of secure housing for the animals and marginal grazing areas are abandoned, with a resulting increase in the use of conserved fodder.

It has thus been permitted to possibly supplement the livestock’s diet with modest quantities of feedingstuffs, including complementary feedingstuffs. Any modest supplementing of the diet with feedingstuffs, including complementary feedingstuffs, stems from the need to ensure that the animals receive balanced nutrition during lactation and gestation, including in the interests of animal welfare. This practice can also prove necessary as a result of adverse atmospheric/climatic conditions that might limit the availability of local forage resources (grazing, hay). What is more, possible modest supplementing of the diet can in no way influence the distinctiveness of the product or the characteristics of the milk.

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document – raw material.

Current version:

‘Production is carried out using milk from two daily milkings and takes place all year round.’

New version:

‘Production is carried out using milk from two or more milkings and takes place all year round.’

With the use of milk refrigeration and storage systems, which have kept improving over time, the possibility has been introduced of producing the cheese using milk from two or more milkings, thus allowing small-scale producers to make cheese every two or more days, particularly in certain periods of the year when output falls.

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document – method of production.

Current version:

‘The cheese must be produced with traditional methods using cylindrical moulds with holes in the bottom. During ripening, the cheese must be briefly washed every day with lukewarm water. Salting must be done by dry salting.’

New version:

‘The milk from two or more milkings is used. It may undergo heat treatment to sanitise it and be inoculated with milk enzymes and/or natural starter cultures. Liquid calf rennet is added to the milk, which is then coagulated at a temperature of 37 °C with a tolerance of ± 3 °C. It is mixed briskly during and after the addition of the rennet, possibly followed by a resting period of at least 40 minutes, so as to give thick, homogeneous curds. The curds are first broken up coarsely using a skimmer or whisk (down to the size of an orange). After a resting period of at least 5 minutes, the curds are broken for the second time to the size of a hazelnut using a whisk or curd harp, followed by a further resting period of at least 10 minutes. To be shaped into cheese, the curds are transferred into cylindrical moulds with holes in the bottom, made of plastic or stainless steel and of appropriate size. The moulds with the curds are kept on an inclined surface for 24 + 4 hours, during which time they are turned on a number of occasions. Dry salting is carried out twice while the cheese is being shaped, once on each face.’

A detailed description has been given of what is referred to in the existing product specification as traditional methods. It has also been specified that the milk may undergo heat treatment to sanitise it.

It has been specified that the milk may be inoculated with milk enzymes and/or natural starter cultures.

For the coagulation temperature, the word ‘around’ has been replaced with ‘tolerance of ± 3 °C’, which is the normal temperature variation for the traditional working methods.

The requirement to wash the cheeses daily during ripening has been removed and it has been more clearly specified that, during the first 4 days, which is the minimum ripening period, the cheeses must be washed with lukewarm water. This amendment request is based on observations recorded over many years which demonstrate that amending this requirement does not influence the final quality of the cheese.

Amendment to Article 2 of the product specification and point 3.2 of the single document – ripening period.

Current version:

‘Ripening period from 4 to 10 days.’

New version:

‘Ripening goes on for at least 4 days and may take place in the same premises as production, with the cheeses being briefly washed with lukewarm water at least twice; it is permitted to use equivalent alternative techniques. After at least 4 days of ripening, the cheese may be stored in special ripening facilities or in cold stores. The minimum ripening period is 4 days and the maximum ripening period is 90 days. Ripening for up to 15 months, without the addition of other products, is permitted only if use is made of the traditional burnie (hermetically sealed glass vessels), into which the cheese is placed after at least 20 days of ripening. It is used not only as a table cheese but also in many recipes and as a basis for prepared products.’

While the 1983 product specification referred to 10 days of ripening, it is now ever more common for some of the ‘Murazzano’ cheese produced to be ripened for longer and this is very much appreciated by the market. Accordingly, the reference to 10 days has been removed and a maximum ripening period of 90 days has been introduced.

This practice marks a return to an old tradition. Indeed, in the past it was quite common for ‘Murazzano’ to be ripened for far longer than 10 days in order to enhance its quality.

In addition, the possibility has been introduced for ‘Murazzano’ to be preserved in burnie (hermetically sealed glass vessels), into which the cheese is placed.

This is also a return to a tradition that is nowadays being practised by an ever increasing number of producers. Burnie were used in the past primarily so as to conserve cheese for the winter when little if any milk, and thus cheese, was produced.

When this technique is used, the cheese is placed into the burnie after at least 20 days of ripening and can be preserved for up to 15 months.

Link

A dedicated article has been added to the product specification and the information in points (d) and (f) of the summary has been rewritten so as to bring it into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

Current version:

‘(d) HISTORY: the cheese, which has historically been made in the production area, owes its name to the Municipality of Murazzano, the main centre of production. Over time the product has retained the specific characteristics resulting from the mountain foothill environment.

(f) GEOGRAPHICAL LINK: noteworthy natural factors are the climatic conditions in the mountain foothill area concerned, which influence the quality of the fodder fed to both the cattle and the sheep. As for human factors, the cheese has historically been present in the area around Cuneo as it is a product that has been widely available in catering establishments.’

New version:

‘The municipalities in the “Murazzano” PDO production area lie in the hilly area known as the Alta Langa [High Langa], an area bordered to the north by the lower Langhe of vineyards and renowned designation of origin wines, to the south by the Ligurian Apennines, to the east by the Monferrato area and to the west by the lowlands of the Province of Cuneo. It is a geographical area which has not undergone geological disruptions over time, with its flora being shielded from the major changes that such disruptions bring. This has made the “Murazzano” geographical area an “oasis” where plant species typical of very different environments have also found shelter. Indeed, alongside species typical of European lowlands and those of Mediterranean origin, this is also an ideal habitat for many species of central and southern European origin and species of Atlantic origin, which are much less common in the areas bordering the “Murazzano” PDO production area. The presence of such a wide and diverse range of plant species means that the animals are fed a mixed and varied diet throughout the year. During the period when grazing is possible (normally from April to October), the sheep feed directly on the green fodder produced by meadows and grasslands. When this is not possible, the diet is still mainly made up of hay obtained from the area’s plant species. The distinctiveness of “Murazzano” PDO’s taste and aromas thus derives from the complexity and very wide range of the typical flora of the production area, the aromatic components of which are transferred to the milk and then to the cheese. Another essential element for “Murazzano” PDO cheese production is the Delle Langhe sheep breed, a native breed that has for centuries been associated with the Alta Langa area (the first written reference can be found in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia). For a long time, this animal was the sole sustenance for rural families since it allowed them to exploit these areas which, owing to their position, the difficulty of accessing them and their low productivity, were little suited to more intensive uses or other types of livestock rearing. Delle Langhe is a breed of medium-large, very hardy sheep with good milk output even in non-optimal conditions. Precisely thanks to these characteristics, the breed has been able to best express its production potential in the “Murazzano” PDO production area, so much so that it is still today a key element of the area’s agricultural economy. Sheep rearing, cheese production and stewardship of the land are inextricably linked elements which, despite the necessary and inevitable developments over the centuries, have never disappeared. They not only serve a productive function, but also play a very important role in preserving an area of high natural and landscape value and maintaining the vitality of the environment as a whole. The “Murazzano” PDO production technique, which to this day retains a strong link with traditional practice, brings to the fore the characteristics arising from the interaction between environment, animals, factors of production and the know-how of local people. The fact that the curds are broken twice, the small size of the cheeses and the fact that the curds are quickly placed into the moulds are all factors intended to allow the whey to drain off quickly, while the frequent turning of the cheese, the specific salting methods and the ripening and maturation conditions make it possible to obtain the distinctive characteristics typical of the cheese. “Murazzano” PDO that has not undergone long ripening gives notes – which are smelled before they are tasted – of the various plant and fodder species that make up the animals’ diet, and such cheese has a delicate taste and a soft paste ranging in colour from milky white to straw yellow. With longer ripening, as the cheese matures and ages, its smell and flavour become stronger and it can develop a soft, fine rind with a very thin under-rind as well as a firmer, darker-coloured paste, and give off aromatic notes that can nobly evoke sheep’s fleece. The combination of the specific climatic conditions, the animals’ diet and the characteristics of the milk produced by the Delle Langhe sheep breed, together with the distinctive production technique and the skill of the cheese-makers who have been able to make judicious use of these conditions, are thus the key elements underlying “Murazzano” PDO cheese production, an expression of the collective know-how of the people of the Langhe resulting from a shared history going back centuries.’

Labelling

The part on labelling given in point (h) of the summary has been expanded upon.

Current version:

‘(h) LABELLING: the product is marketed with the symbol of its protection association.’

New version:

‘The cheese may be sold whole or in portions and it may be pre-packaged. The logo/symbol of “Murazzano” cheese is a stylised capital “M” inlaid on one of the flat faces of a “Murazzano” cheese wheel, out of which a wedge has been cut for tasting. The symbol is blue (pantone Blue 0729) or black (pantone Black U) on a white background and is included on the label used in the packaging of “Murazzano”. The label may be affixed only after the minimum ripening period. The product ripened/preserved in traditional burnie is to be marked with a specific label (sticker) affixed to the outside of the glass or, alternatively, to the product preserved inside. As the ewe’s milk used to produce “Murazzano” cheese can come only from animals belonging to the Delle Langhe breed, it is permitted to include the wording “Con latte di pecora delle Langhe” [“With milk from Delle Langhe sheep”] on the packaging or on a special label. “Murazzano” cheese produced 100 % from ewe’s milk can include the wording “Solo latte di pecora delle Langhe” [“Milk from Delle Langhe sheep only”] on the packaging or on a special label.’

Other

The product specification has been reorganised in order to make it easier to read. The new product specification thus has the following eight articles: Article 1 – Name, Article 2 – Product characteristics, Article 3 – Geographical area, Article 4 – Proof of origin, Article 5 – Method of production, Article 6 – Link with the environment, Article 7 – Controls, Article 8 – Labelling.

The article on controls in point (g) of the summary has been amended so as to bring it into line with the legislation in force and details of the control body have been added.

Current version:

‘(g) CONTROLS: NAME: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policy – Central Anti-Fraud Inspectorate; Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Murazzano [“Murazzano” Cheese Protection Association] as the body charged with supervision’

New version:

‘The product’s conformity with the product specification is monitored in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 by the control body I.N.O.Q. – Istituto Nord Ovest Qualità – Soc. Coop. a r.l., Piazza Carlo Alberto Grosso 82, Moretta (CN) 12033. Tel. +39 0172911323; Fax +39 0172911320; Email: inoq@inoq.it’

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Murazzano’

EU No: PDO-IT-0015-AM01 - 18/11/2020

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Murazzano’

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 (1) applies

The designation of origin ‘Murazzano’ is reserved for cheese having the following characteristics: full-fat, fresh cheese produced exclusively from ewe’s milk from sheep of the Delle Langhe breed or from a mixture of a minimum of 60 % ewe’s milk to which cow’s milk has been added up to a maximum of 40 %. It is used as a table cheese and has the characteristics listed below.

Shape: cylindrical with flat faces that have a slightly raised edge.

Size: diameter of approx. 10-15 cm, edge height approx. 3-4 cm.

Weight: 250 to 400 g.

The size and weight refer to the cheese after the minimum ripening period.

Description of the paste: soft, slightly firm, sometimes with a small number of eyes, finely grained; as the cheese ripens, the colour goes from milky white to straw yellow; the texture changes with ripening, from soft to increasingly firm with the gradual loss of moisture, eventually becoming semi-hard or hard.

Neither colour pigments nor specific flavourings are used.

Outer layer: fresh cheeses have no rind, the outer layer is milky white, sometimes with a fine, light straw-yellow film. As the cheese ripens, the outer colour becomes an ever-darker straw-yellow.

Taste: fine, delicately fragrant, with a pleasant flavour bringing to mind ewe’s milk; as the cheese ripens, its smell and taste become stronger.

Fat content in the dry matter: minimum of 50 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced exclusively from ewe’s milk and 47 % with a 2 % tolerance for the product produced from mixed ewe’s and cow’s milk.

The minimum ripening period is 4 days and the maximum ripening period is 90 days. Ripening for up to 15 months, without the addition of other products, is permitted only if use is made of the traditional burnie (hermetically sealed glass vessels), into which the cheese is placed after at least 20 days of ripening.

The cheese may be sold whole or in portions and it may be pre-packaged.

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

The annual feed ration of the livestock whose milk is to be processed into ‘Murazzano’ PDO cheese must be composed of green or conserved fodder, making up at least 70 % of the dry matter, and concentrated or complementary feedingstuffs, making up at most 30 % of the dry matter. At least 80 % of the fodder must come from the area of origin. Grazing is practised when the season allows it. Feed sourced from outside the defined geographical area may in no case exceed 50 % of the dry matter on an annual basis. Vitamin and mineral supplements are allowed up to the limits allowed by law.

The production area lies entirely on non-irrigated land in high or moderately high hills. Therefore, fodder production can fall in years of low rainfall, which is also linked to climate change.

For some years now, the area of origin has also seen a very large-scale intensification of hazelnut growing and, to a lesser extent, wine growing, with a consequent reduction in the available forage areas. To this should be added the increasing presence of wolves, which attack flocks and frighten sheep, causing difficulties with grazing in more disadvantaged areas that are more difficult to mow. This increasingly means that use is sometimes made of secure housing for the animals and marginal grazing areas are abandoned, with a resulting increase in the use of conserved fodder.

It has thus been permitted to possibly supplement the livestock’s diet with modest quantities of feedingstuffs, including complementary feedingstuffs. Any modest supplementing of the diet with feedingstuffs, including complementary feedingstuffs, stems from the need to ensure that the animals receive balanced nutrition during lactation and gestation, including in the interests of animal welfare. This practice can also prove necessary as a result of adverse atmospheric/climatic conditions that might limit the availability of local forage resources (grazing, hay). What is more, possible modest supplementing of the diet can in no way influence the distinctiveness of the product or the characteristics of the milk.

Ewe’s milk from sheep of the Delle Langhe breed or from a mixture of a minimum of 60 % ewe’s milk to which cow’s milk has been added up to a maximum of 40 %. The milk from two or more milkings is used. It may undergo heat treatment to sanitise it and be inoculated with milk enzymes and/or natural starter cultures. Liquid calf rennet is added to the milk.

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

The dairy flocks and herds whose milk is processed into ‘Murazzano’ must be located within the defined geographical area.

The milk must be produced and processed and the cheese ripened within 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

The logo/symbol of ‘Murazzano’ cheese is a stylised capital ‘M’ inlaid on one of the flat faces of a ‘Murazzano’ cheese wheel, out of which a wedge has been cut for tasting. The symbol is blue (pantone Blue 0729) or black (pantone Black U) on a white background and is included on the label used in the packaging of ‘Murazzano’. The label may be affixed only after the minimum ripening period.

The product ripened/preserved in traditional burnie is to be marked with a specific label (sticker) affixed to the outside of the glass or, alternatively, to the product preserved inside.

As the ewe’s milk used to produce ‘Murazzano’ cheese can come only from animals belonging to the Delle Langhe breed, it is permitted to include the wording ‘Con latte di pecora delle Langhe’ [‘With milk from Delle Langhe sheep’] on the packaging or on a special label. ‘Murazzano’ cheese produced 100 % from ewe’s milk can include the wording ‘Solo latte di pecora delle Langhe’ [‘Milk from Delle Langhe sheep only’] on the packaging or on a special label.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production (including ripening) area includes the entire administrative territory of the municipalities of Albaretto Torre, Arguello, Bastia Mondovì, Belvedere Langhe, Benevello, Bergolo, Bonvicino, Borgomale, Bosia, Bossolasco, Camerana, Castelletto Uzzone, Castellino Tanaro, Castelnuovo di Ceva, Castino, Cerreto Langhe, Ceva, Cigliè, Cissone, Clavesana, Cortemilia, Cravanzana, Feisoglio, Gorzegno, Gottasecca, Igliano, Lequio Berria, Levice, Marsaglia, Mombarcaro, Monesiglio, Montezemolo, Murazzano, Niella Belbo, Paroldo, Perletto, Pezzolo Valle Uzzone, Priero, Prunetto, Roascio, Roccacigliè, Rocchetta Belbo, Sale Langhe, Sale San Giovanni, Saliceto, San Benedetto Belbo, Serravalle Langhe, Somano, Torre Bormida, Torresina.

5. Link with the geographical area

The municipalities in the ‘Murazzano’ PDO production area lie in the hilly area known as the Alta Langa [High Langa], an area bordered to the north by the lower Langhe of vineyards and renowned designation of origin wines, to the south by the Ligurian Apennines, to the east by the Monferrato area and to the west by the lowlands of the Province of Cuneo.

It is a geographical area which has not undergone geological disruptions over time, with its flora being shielded from the major changes that such disruptions bring. This has made the ‘Murazzano’ geographical area an ‘oasis’ where plant species typical of very different environments have also found shelter. Indeed, alongside species typical of European lowlands and those of Mediterranean origin, this is also an ideal habitat for many species of central and southern European origin and species of Atlantic origin, which are much less common in the areas bordering the ‘Murazzano’ PDO production area.

The presence of such a wide and diverse range of plant species means that the animals are fed a mixed and varied diet throughout the year.

During the period when grazing is possible (normally from April to October), the sheep feed directly on the green fodder produced by meadows and grasslands. When this is not possible, the diet is still mainly made up of hay obtained from the area’s plant species.

The distinctiveness of ‘Murazzano’ PDO’s taste and aromas thus derives from the complexity and very wide range of the typical flora of the production area, the aromatic components of which are transferred to the milk and then to the cheese.

Another essential element for ‘Murazzano’ PDO cheese production is the Delle Langhe sheep breed, a native breed that has for centuries been associated with the Alta Langa area (the first written reference can be found in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia). For a long time, this animal was the sole sustenance for rural families since it allowed them to exploit these areas which, owing to their position, the difficulty of accessing them and their low productivity, were little suited to more intensive uses or other types of livestock rearing. Delle Langhe is a breed of medium-large, very hardy sheep with good milk output even in non-optimal conditions. Precisely thanks to these characteristics, the breed has been able to best express its production potential in the ‘Murazzano’ PDO production area, so much so that it is still today a key element of the area’s agricultural economy.

Sheep rearing, cheese production and stewardship of the land are inextricably linked elements which, despite the necessary and inevitable developments over the centuries, have never disappeared. They not only serve a productive function, but also play a very important role in preserving an area of high natural and landscape value and maintaining the vitality of the environment as a whole.

The ‘Murazzano’ PDO production technique, which to this day retains a strong link with traditional practice, brings to the fore the characteristics arising from the interaction between environment, animals, factors of production and the know-how of local people. The fact that the curds are broken twice, the small size of the cheeses and the fact that the curds are quickly placed into the moulds are all factors intended to allow the whey to drain off quickly, while the frequent turning of the cheese, the specific salting methods and the ripening and maturation conditions make it possible to obtain the distinctive characteristics typical of the cheese.

‘Murazzano’ PDO that has not undergone long ripening gives notes – which are smelled before they are tasted – of the various plant and fodder species that make up the animals’ diet, and such cheese has a delicate taste and a soft paste ranging in colour from milky white to straw yellow. With longer ripening, as the cheese matures and ages, its smell and flavour become stronger and it can develop a soft, fine rind with a very thin under-rind as well as a firmer, darker-coloured paste, and give off aromatic notes that can nobly evoke sheep’s fleece.

The combination of the specific climatic conditions, the animals’ diet and the characteristics of the milk produced by the Delle Langhe sheep breed, together with the distinctive production technique and the skill of the cheese-makers who have been able to make judicious use of these conditions, are thus the key elements underlying ‘Murazzano’ PDO cheese production, an expression of the collective know-how of the people of the Langhe resulting from a shared history going back centuries.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The full text of the product specification is available on the following Internet: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively: by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it), clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’

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