EN Official Journal of the European Union C 168/10

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

2010/C 168/09

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 of the date of this publication.

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Amendment application according to Article 9

‘ROBIOLA DI ROCCAVERANO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0217-0024-13.09.2005

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

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

—  Name of product — Description of product — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Method of production — Link — Labelling —  National requirements — Other (to be specified)

2. Type of amendment(s):

—  Amendment to single document or summary sheet — Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor 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 phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s):

3.1. Description of product:

The possibility of maturing the product is introduced.

Although the previous specification makes no mention of maturing the product it is now common to mature a proportion of the ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ production for varying periods and this is highly appreciated by consumers. This practice is a revival of an ancient tradition.

The size of the heel is amended, with the minimum size being reduced from 4 cm to 2,5 cm. This is necessary because the quantity of Robiola made exclusively from goat’s milk has increased considerably over recent years. In addition, enormous use is again being made of containers known as ‘bicchieroni’, or in the local dialect ‘pignatin’, for coagulation. A maximum of 1,8 litres of milk may be placed in these two-litre containers in order to obtain synaeresis of the whey characteristic of ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’. Furthermore, when exclusively or mainly goat’s milk is used, the chemico-physical properties of the milk produce a shorter heel on the ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ than when made mainly from cow’s and ewe’s milk.

3.2. Method of production:

The minimum fat content as a percentage of the dry extract has been reduced from 45 % to 40 %. This change is also because of the fact that the proportion of Robiola made exclusively or partly from goat’s milk has increased significantly over recent years. On average, goat’s milk has a lower fat content as a percentage of the dry extract.

The protein and ash contents have been amended. ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ has always been produced from the milk produced on the holding, irrespective of the species of animal. Robiola is therefore a cheese produced by acid coagulation of mixed milk (goat’s, ewe’s and cow’s), the characteristics of which are determined not only by the production method but also by the proportions of the three types of milk used. The percentage of protein substances and ash is therefore strongly influenced by the type of milk used.

The maximum proportion of cow’s milk that can be used has been reduced from 85 % to 50 %. The proportion of ewe’s milk has also been changed, and can now not exceed 50 %. These changes are necessary because already in the 1990s cows and goats were disappearing from holdings in the area, or their numbers were being considerably reduced, to be replaced by goats. There are many reasons for this change, not the least of which are the lower costs of facilities for raising goats and the lower costs of herd management, the fact that goats are hardier animals and the possibility of exploiting large uncultivated stretches of land in the area. In addition, this choice is often also linked to a return to old traditions of the ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ production area, in which in the 1950s cattle and sheep farming was not widespread and was dedicated almost exclusively to producing draft animals, while goat farming was practised on a wide scale. What is more, the producers who have availed themselves of this change to the specification, which has been provisionally approved, have seen an improvement in the quality of the marketed product (which has won prizes at a number of national and international events) and there has consequently been an increase in the number of producers, with new holdings being set up by young farmers in the marginal and less-favoured area of Langa Astigiana and the surrounding villages.

The goat, sheep and cattle breeds from which the milk is obtained for the production of ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ have been put in both the summary sheet and the specification and the animal feed used has been specified.

3.3. Geographical area:

The geographical area has been described in more detail in the summary sheet to comply with Community rules.

3.4. Proof of origin:

The proof of origin has been made clear in the summary sheet and the specification as required by Community rules.

3.5. Link:

Information showing that ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ originates in the geographical area has been given in the summary sheet and the specification, along with details of the link. The Commission already has this information, since it is given in the documentation on the basis of which registration was granted.

3.6. Labelling:

The special rules on labelling are set out in detail, with the addition of the code identifying the holding and the PDO logo to ensure that the product is instantly recognisable and thus guarantee consumers clear and comprehensive information.

In addition, the different percentages of milk used must be shown on the label so as to give greater clarity and transparency as regards the ingredients of the cheese, particularly in view of the growing incidence of food allergies and intolerance in recent years.

3.7. Others:

It is made clear that packing must take place in the production area given that it is impossible to indelibly mark the cheese itself at the time of production because of its lack of a rind and its fresh and soft body. The absence of a rind also exposes the cheese to the risk of dehydration, oxidation and deterioration of the fat content.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ROBIOLA DI ROCCAVERANO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0217-0024-13.09.2005

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Ministero delle politiche agricole e forestali Address: Via XX Settembre 20 00187 Roma RM ITALIA Tel. +39 0646655104 Fax +39 0646655306 E-mail: saco7@politicheagricole.gov.it

2. Group:

Name: Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Robiola di Roccaverano Address: Via Roma 8 Roccaverno AT ITALIA Tel. +39 014488465 Fax +39 014493350 E-mail: info@robioladiroccaverano.com Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.3 — Cheeses

4. Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Robiola di Roccaverano’

4.2. Description:

‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ is a fresh cheese made throughout the year from curd and is subject to ripening or maturing.

‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ PDO is cylindrical in shape with slightly edged straight sides and a slightly convex heel. The faces are between 10 and 14 cm in diameter and the heel is 2,5 to 4 cm in height. Each cheese weighs between 250 and 400 grams.

The reference criteria for ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ as regards fat, protein substances and ash are as follows:

fat: minimum of 40 % of dry extract;

protein substances: minimum of 34 % of dry extract;

ash: minimum of 3 % of dry extract.

The organoleptic properties of ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ cheese vary according to the degree of ripening it undergoes:

fresh cheese ripened from four to ten days: rind: this may be present in the form of a light natural bloom of mould or may be absent; external appearance: milky white or straw-yellow; body: milky white; structure: soft and creamy; taste and smell: delicate, tangy and/or slightly sour;

mature cheese ripened for 11 days or more: rind: in the form of a natural bloom of mould; external appearance: creamy white, straw-yellow or slightly reddish in colour; body: milky white; structure: soft, slightly more compact as maturing progresses, the flavoursome underrind may be creamy.

4.3. Geographical area:

The geographical area includes the following municipalities: Province of Asti: Bubbio, Cessole, Loazzolo, Mombaldone, Monastero Bormida, Olmo Gentile, Roccaverano, San Giorgio Scarampi, Serole and Vesime; Province of Alessandria: Castelletto d’Erro, Denice, Malvicino, Merana, Montechiaro d’Acqui, Pareto, Ponti, Spigno Monferrato and that part of the Municipality of Cartosio located on the left bank of the Erro stream.

4.4. Proof of origin:

Each stage in the production process is monitored, with all inputs and outputs being recorded. This, along with specific registers, managed by the inspection body, recording stockfarmers, producers, ripeners and packagers, and the timely notification of the quantities produced to the inspection body, ensures product traceability. Parcels of meadow-pasture, grassland and woodland must be entered in a register held by the inspection body. All operators, whether legal or natural persons, entered in the relevant registers are subject to checks by the inspection body.

4.5. Method of production:

‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ is made from raw whole milk exclusively from the production area of goats of the Roccaverano and Camosciata Alpina breeds and their crosses, ewes of the Pecora delle Langhe breed and cows of the Piemontese and Bruna Alpina breeds and their crosses and in the following proportions: raw whole goat’s milk, either exclusively or mixed with up to 50 % raw whole cow’s and/or ewe’s milk, from successive milkings carried out within a period of between 24 and 48 hours. The percentages of the different types of milk used in the cheese must be indicated on the label.

The sheep and goats are fed by grazing between 1 March and 30 November and with green and/or conserved fodder and fresh and processed cereal grain, legumes and oleaginous plants. The cows are fed by grazing and with green and/or conserved fodder and fresh and processed cereal grain, legumes and oleaginous plants.

More than 80 % of the feed of all the animals must come from the production area.

Animal rennet is added to the milk after acidification has begun, at a temperature of between 18 and 24 °C. The milk is then left to coagulate for between 8 and 36 hours depending on weather and environmental conditions. It is left in the moulds for up to 48 hours and is turned regularly to speed the extraction of the whey.

Dry salting is carried out on both faces when the cheeses are turned or when they are removed from the moulds. The fresh cheeses are ripened naturally in suitable premises for at least three days after they are placed in moulds. From the fourth day after they are placed in moulds they may be sold or left to ripen, either on the holding or on the premises of ripeners. ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ is considered to be a mature cheese from the tenth day after it is placed in the mould.

The cheeses must be packed in the production area, since the cheese’s lack of a rind and its fresh and soft body expose it to the risk of dehydration, oxidation and deterioration of the fat content.

It is also impossible to indelibly mark the cheese itself at the time of production because of its lack of a rind.

4.6. Link:

The soil is clayey with a marly substratum. In certain areas, subsidence has produced colluviale soils with a very deep and very fertile clayey stratum with a high water capacity. The area has a typical continental climate characterised by very cold winters with heavy snowfalls and frequent freezing and thawing and high summer temperatures that arrive suddenly towards the end of June. There is little variation in the pattern of precipitation and annual rainfall is 300 mm, with very little falling in the spring and summer, which can bring serious droughts.

These soil and climate conditions produce typical forage plants on grassland and meadow-pasture. These are polyphytic cultivated meadows, mainly of grasses (around 75 %) and legumes (around 25 %), together with a range of aromatic and medicinal plants. The main grasses are: ryegrass (Lolium spp.), cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), fescue (Festuca spp.), meadow grass (Poa spp.) vernal grass, etc. The main legumes are: mountain clover (Trifolium montanum), bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), milfoil (Achillea spp.), etc. Among the aromatic and scented grasses, in addition to vernal grass, are umbrelliferae, such as wild carrot (Daucus carota carota), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), sage (Salvia officinalis), great lavender (Lavandula latifolia), many varieties of thyme (Thymus spp.), common rue (Ruta graveolens), rose hip (Rosa canina canina), etc. This mix of fodder plants, with its natural balance of hydro-carbons, proteins and vitamins, provides high-quality feed for sheep, goats and cattle. The particular properties of the flora with their different perfumes and aromas are also found in the milk, which means that the fragrance of ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ cheese is unlike that of any other cheese.

Sheep and goats also graze on woodland, which as well as protecting the land, protects the animals from the excessive heat of summer.

A manuscript written by the priest Pistone dating from 1899 recounts the history of the Parrish of Roccaverano and the surrounding hamlets from 960 to 1860. Among the historical information of political relevance are economic data that highlight the importance of Robiola such as the fact that the Municipality of Roccaverano hosted five annual fairs. On these occasions, ‘excellent Robiole cheeses’ were sold for export; the manuscript refers specifically to export, since already at that time Robiola was known not only in Italy but also in France. It would appear that Robiola was not regarded as just a generic cheese, because its characteristics were different from those of all other cheeses. Craft-made Robiola can also be kept for six months in oil in glass jars or can be kept in straw.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: I.N.O.Q. Address: Piazza Carlo Alberto Grosso 82 12033 Moretta CN ITALIA Tel. +39 0172911323 Fax +39 0172911320 E-mail: inoq@isiline.it

4.8. Labelling:

On release for consumption, the packaging is sealed with an adhesive label bearing the PDO logo in the form of a stylised ‘R’. The brown, stylised uppercase ‘R’ contains the image of a tower with battlements, inspired by the historical tower in the Municipality of Roccaverano; the eye of the ‘R’ represents a ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ cheese and the leg is decorated with a green and pale yellow/green design that represents the meadows and the typical, sinuous shape of the hills of la Langa. This is enclosed within a dark green ring bearing the words ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ in white, uppercase lettering with a small, white stylised flower at bottom centre. The logo appears on a white background. Underneath the logo is the code number identifying the production holding and the label serial number, on an ochre background for ‘Robiola di Roccaverano’ produced exclusively from goat’s milk and on a white background for that produced from mixed milk. However, the percentages of the different types of milk used must be shown on the label. All cheeses must be marketed whole, packed and bearing a seal.

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