EN Official Journal of the European Union C 249/26

Publication of an 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

(2007/C 249/13)

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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘SLOVENSKÁ PARENICA’

EC No: SK/PGI/005/0485/19.07.2005

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

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

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Úrad priemyselného vlastníctva Slovenskej republiky Address: Jána Švermu 43 SK-974 04 Banská Bystrica Tel. (421) 48 430 02 53 Fax (421) 48 430 04 03 E-mail: joravcova@indprop.gov.sk

2. Group:

Name: Cech bryndziarov Address: Kostolná č. 5 SK-900 01 Modra Tel. (421) 33 647 29 74 Fax (421) 33 647 29 74 E-mail: peter.lajda@pobox.sk, biocentrum@vup.sk Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Group 1.3: Cheeses

4. Specification:

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

4.1. Name: ‘Slovenská parenica’

4.2. Description: ‘Slovenská parenica’ is a steamed, lightly smoked cheese wound into two rolls 6-8 cm in diameter and 5-8 cm high, connected in an ‘S’-shape. The rolls are bound with cheese string or chain. Prior to being rolled up, the cheese strip is 2-3 mm thick, 5-8 cm wide and 4-6 m long. ‘Slovenská parenica’ has a delicate taste, the odour of sheep's milk and a smoky smell. It is known for the characteristically pronounced fibrous structure of the curd. It contains a minimum 53 % dry matter and 50 % fat in dry matter.

The ingredients used are fresh raw, unprocessed sheep's milk from grazing sheep of the Wallachian, improved Wallachian, Cigaya and East Friesian breeds or a mixture of fresh raw, unprocessed sheep's milk and fresh raw, unprocessed cow's milk, containing at least 50 % sheep's milk.

It is sold on the market in individual packages of 450-500 g. It is wrapped in food-grade transparent plastic wrap or cellophane in between two oval pieces of fairly thick wooden board.

Characteristics:

Shape: ‘Slovenská parenica’ comes in the form of two connected rolls of cheese strip which are 5 to 8 cm high and have a diameter of 6 to 8 cm. Traditionally the two coils are bound with cheese string.

Odour: ‘Slovenská parenica’ has the characteristic odour of sheep's milk and a smoky smell resulting from its being smoked in hardwood smoke.

Taste: The taste is that of a mild, pleasantly salty sheep's milk cheese.

Consistency: Elastic, with a fibrous structure; threads form when broken open.

Colour: Yellow to brown on the outside after smoking; white to buttery yellow on the inside.

Composition: Minimum dry matter content 53 %; minimum fat in dry matter 50 %; maximum salt content 3 %.

Microbiological requirements: Contains the natural microorganisms found in milk, i.e. the Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus and Streptococcus strains. It must not contain pathogenic microorganisms (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella). Steaming at 60-70 °C results in partial pasteurisation, during which the natural microflora content falls roughly from 105 to 102.

4.3. Geographical area: According to historical sources, steamed cheese production began around Zvolen and Brezno in the early 19th century. It gradually expanded to almost every part of Slovakia. Since the end of the Second World War, ‘Slovenská parenica’ production has been confined to a defined mountainous area of Slovakia at least 200 metres above sea level. The sheep are put out to graze in early spring (March/April) in the lower-lying parts of the defined area. In May and the summer months, they move to higher pastures.

The western boundary of the defined area is formed by the Western slopes of the Biele Karpaty (White Carpathian) range, Považský Inovec, Tríbeč, Vtáčnik, Štiavnické vrchy and Krupinská vrchovina mountains and uplands.

The slopes of the Krupinská vrchovina, Cerová vrchovina, Stolické vrchy, Slovenský kras (Slovak Karst), Volovské vrchy and Slanské vrchy mountains and uplands make up the southern boundary.

The eastern boundary is formed by the mountain and upland slopes of Vihorlatská vrchovina, Popriečiny, Beskydské predhorie and Bukovské vrchy, and the border with Ukraine.

The northern boundary is marked by: the border with Poland; the slopes of the Laborecká vrchovina, Ondavská vrchovina, Ľubovnianska vrchovina, Pieniny, Spišská Magura, Tatry (Tatras), Skorušinské vrchy, Podbeskydská vrchovina, Oravské Beskydy and Kysucké Beskydy mountains and uplands; the border with the Czech Republic; the slopes of Turzovská vrchovina, Javorníky and Biele Karpaty (White Carpathian) mountains and uplands; and the Skalica border crossing.

The application bears the country's name, since the defined geographical area accounts for more than 80 % of Slovakia's territory. The Slovak Republic covers an area of 49 035 km2. As one of the smallest EU Member States, its surface area is comparable to that of some regions in other Member States.

Slovakia was once part of Czechoslovakia, which split on 1 January 1993 into two independent States — the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

This is the background to the name ‘Slovenská parenica’, which did not bear the name of a country, but rather the name of part of a country's territory which became the name of a country after the historic events of 1 January 1993. Since by then the name was already in use, internationally protected and universally known to consumers, the Slovak Republic would request continued protection for it, also within the European Community.

‘Slovenská parenica’ is produced in the same way throughout the defined area. Within this defined area, the same breeds of sheep — that is to say the Wallachian, improved Wallachian, Cigaya and East Friesian breeds — are raised on pastureland with the same flora and climatic conditions, thereby ensuring uniform quality of the basic raw ingredient, sheep's milk.

Written records attest to the historical links of ‘Slovenská parenica’ production with this area.

4.4. Proof of origin: Cow's and sheep's milk, and ‘Slovenská parenica’ itself, are produced solely in the defined mountainous area of the Slovak Republic. The raw milk is worked into a lump and then either parenica is produced directly on farms and sheep farms or the milk is weighed out and sent to bryndza cheese producers and dairies for processing. Each bryndza cheese producer purchases raw sheep's and cow's milk in adjacent regions of the defined area.

A two-stage checking and documentation procedure is enforced in respect of producers who purchase milk. The first stage involves inspections of the suppliers of the sheep's and/or cow's milk. Checks are performed to ensure that the breeding area and location of the pastureland lie within the defined area, as well as on the sheep breeds.

Those farms, breeders and suppliers which meet the terms and conditions of the specification are put on a suppliers' list held and updated by Cech bryndziarov.

The second stage involves inspections of the ‘Slovenská parenica’ producers. Checks are performed:

to ascertain the origin of the raw materials used, by scrutinising the documentation relating to the purchase and comparing them with the list of authorised suppliers,

to ensure compliance with the minimum proportion of sheep's milk for production, on the basis of documentation concerning the quantity of raw materials purchased and sales volumes for ‘Slovenská parenica’,

to ensure that the terms and conditions governing production and qualitative parameters in respect of the product comply with the specification, on the basis of production records and analysis results.

In the case of producers which make ‘Slovenská parenica’ using their own milk, a one-stage checking procedure is performed.

Checks are carried out to ascertain:

that the breeding area and location of pastureland lie within the defined area,

the sheep breeds raised,

compliance with the minimum proportion of sheep's milk for production, on the basis of documentation on milk production and sales volumes for ‘Slovenská parenica’,

that the terms and conditions governing production and qualitative parameters in respect of the product comply with the specification, on the basis of production records and analysis results.

In order to identify the product, the name ‘Slovenská parenica’, the producer's name and the production plant's address are displayed on the packaging. The guarantee that the product originates from the protected geographical area is provided by the fact that the geographical location of the producer's plant lies specifically within the delimited area in which production of ‘Slovenská parenica’ is authorised.

4.5. Method of production: Parenica was originally produced in sheep farmers' kitchens, where the necessary conditions in terms of temperature and space were specially created, and where there was space for smoking and storage. Once shepherds had learnt to build more weather-proof and spacious dwellings, the production of parenica also began on highland sheep farms. The original method of production on highland sheep farms has been preserved to this day in some households. Fresh sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's and cow's milk containing at least 50 % sheep's milk is curdled at a temperature of 29-32 °C. Actual curdling takes place about half an hour after the rennet has been added. This curdled cheese mass is then mixed using a cheese harp and cut with a cheese knife to produce 0,5-1 cm chunks. The crumbly cheese mass is then left to settle before being moulded into a lump by hand. The lump is then lifted out of the whey with a cheese cloth and left to drain. The curd is produced in a double-bottomed wooden press or rustproof receptacle. On its removal from the cheese cloth, the lump of sheep's cheese weighs 3-5 kg.

Once drained and solidified (after 4-10 hours), the lump is placed on a wooden or rustproof shelf to ferment. Fermentation takes approximately 24 hours at a temperature of 20-23 °C to achieve a pH level for the cheese of about 5,3.

The duly fermented lump cheese is cut into smallish pieces and approximately kg is weighed out to make one parenica. Thus weighed out, the cheese is placed in a wooden churn with hot water (water temperature of 60-70 °C). A wooden spatula is then used to scrape over the top of the churn until there is a soft cheese mass. The cheese mass is removed and excess water squeezed out of it by hand; it is then stretched and folded over a number of times. Stretching and folding is repeated several times. A strip is pulled from the cheese mass thus prepared and this is then formed on a wooden board, using the edge of a hand, so that it has a length of 4-6 m, a width of about 6 cm and a thickness of 2-3 mm. The strip which has been pulled out is placed in a prepared cold saturated salt solution. The strip is then removed, any excess salt solution is squeezed out, and it is placed in the centre of a board and wound, by taking the two ends and working in opposite directions, into an ‘S’ shape. It is bound with string or chain and placed on a wooden board. After being dried on the wooden board, the cheese is placed in a smoking chamber and smoked for about two hours in hardwood smoke.

4.6. Link: Parenica began to be produced for household needs in sheep-farming families during the 18th century. By the 19th century it was being sold not only in the area covered by present-day Slovakia, but also in Vienna and other European cities.

Written records of ‘Slovenská parenica’ go back as far as the 19th century. Professor Otakar Laxa, a well-known dairyman living at the turn of the 20th century, regarded parenica as the crowning glory of the art of steamed cheese-making. In his book Syrařství (Cheese-making), first ed., 1908, he mentions ‘Slovenská parenica’ as a unique cheese and describes its production and interesting shape. In conclusion, he writes this of the ‘Slovenská parenica’:

‘There are no other cheeses which are so typically Slovak as parenica cheeses and they should be regarded as unique in the cheese-making sector.’

Laxa christened parenica‘the queen of cheeses’ and commented on its remarkable shape, reminiscent of a decorative motif used frequently by the ancient Slavs.

The section entitled ‘Cheeses’ on page 180 of the Codex Alimentarius Austricus (Volume III, Vienna, 1917) contains the following reference: ‘Parenica is a steamed stretched cheese which is pulled out of hot water into strips and threads and is then rolled up and smoked’. The origin is clearly stated as ‘Oberungarn’, which is now Slovakia, and its name is given, in Slovak as ‘parenica’.

The grounds for application for a geographical indication for ‘Slovenská parenica’ lie in its reputation, as well as in its exceptional nature, the novel method of its production, its remarkable shape, the skill of its producers, and the tradition behind it. The special nature of ‘Slovenská parenica’ stems from the quality of the milk taken from grazing sheep (see point 4.2), but chiefly from the specific method of production, involving stretching and folding the cheese mass before further and repeatedly stretching it out and folding it over. Once the cheese mass has been thus prepared a strip is pulled from it and moulded on a wooden board with the edge of a hand. The strip is immersed in a prepared solution, removed, placed in the centre of a board and wound, by taking the two ends and working in opposite directions, into an ‘S’ shape. It is bound with cheese string or chain. This specific approach is native and endemic to the entire defined area. ‘Slovenská parenica’ stands out not only because of its specific production method, but also because, unusually for a cheese, it has a distinctive ‘S’ shape. The quality itself is derived from the makers' skills and experience.

The specific and exceptional quality of ‘Slovenská parenica’ is borne out by the fact that its name is protected under two bilateral agreements. These are the Agreement of 18 May 1987 between the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Government of the Republic of Portugal on the protection of designations of origin, data of origin and other geographical and analogous indications and the Agreement of 20 January 1981 between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Austria on protection of designations of origin, data of origin and other designations of agricultural and industrial products.

Exports of ‘Slovenská parenica’ also play a prominent role in boosting tourism. The sheep-farming products typical to Slovakia are one of its trademark features. Even the more discerning foreign visitor is turning away from standard travel agency packages in favour of something more unusual and distinctive.

Tourists have traditionally associated Slovakia with the sheep-farming products that have helped enhance its reputation, and it is thanks in part to ‘Slovenská parenica’ and other sheep-farming products that during their frequent visits to the country they seek out shepherd's huts and sheep farms.

Every year Slovak towns hold an annual fair, called a ‘jarmok’, at which ‘Slovenská parenica’ is always a feature.

4.7. Inspection body: Quality control and checks on compliance with the specification for ‘Slovenská parenica’ are carried out regularly by: BEL/NOVAMANN International s.r.o., CERTEX certification body ‘accredited under standard EN 45011’ authorised by the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture,

4.8. Labelling: A producer which makes ‘Slovenská parenica’ in accordance with this specification is may use the name ‘Slovenská parenica’ when labelling, advertising and marketing the product and, pursuant to Articles 8(2) and 20(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, may use it as a protected geographical indication or use the Community symbol.

Labels affixed to the product must include the name ‘Slovenská parenica’, highlighted.

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