Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin
Date: 2001-09-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Region of Murcia, designation of origin, goats’ milk cheese, location of production, product quality

6.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 248/3

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2001/C 248/03)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned
Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the
Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The
arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the
application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO (x)

PGI (

)

National application No: 71

1. Responsible department in the Member State

1.1. Name:

Subdirecci(cid:243)n General de Denominaciones de Calidad y Relaciones Interprofesionales y
Contractuales, Direcci(cid:243)n General de Alimentaci(cid:243)n, Subsecretar(cid:237)a de Agricultura, Pesca y
Alimentaci(cid:243)n del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentaci(cid:243)n.

1.2. Address: Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid.

Tel.

Fax

(34) 913 47 53 94.

(34) 913 47 54 10.

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name: Group formed by the following agricultural trade organisations and associations: UPA,

ADEA-ASAJA, CRJA, FUARM, Aquemur, Acrimur y Fecoam.

2.2. Address: Avda. de Levante, 53, Entlo. 9, Ed. GØminis, E-30520 Jumilla (Murcia).

Tel.

Fax

(34) 968 78 38 04.

(34) 968 78 37 96.

2.3. Composition: producers/processors (x)

other (

).

3. Type of product: Class 1.3 cheeses.

4. Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: (cid:145)Queso de Murcia(cid:146)

4.2. Description: Two types of cheese will be protected:

Fresh: A non-matured, full-fat cheese, made with Murcian goats’ milk. The cheese is cylindrical in
form, between 5 cm and 8 cm high, with a diameter of 7 cm to 9 cm and a weight of about 300 g
or between 8 cm and 12 cm high, with a diameter of between 12 cm and 18 cm and a weight of
1 kg or 2 kg. The rind is extremely thin and carries the imprint of the esparto matting used in the
cheese’s production.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

6.9.2001

The cheese is lightly pressed but not cooked. When cut, the cheese is dense and virtually without
holes yet soft and is vivid white in colour. The cheese is very slightly salty and has a mild aroma.

Matured: A full-fat cheese, pressed but not cooked, made with Murcian goats’ milk. The cheese is
cylindrical in form, between 7 cm and 9 cm high, with a diameter of between 12 cm and 18 cm
and a weight of 1 kg or 2 kg. The rind is smooth, with no imprint, the colour ranging from waxen
to ochre.

The interior is dense and firm, white or slightly yellowish in the most mature cheeses, with a few
small holes and has a mild smell. It is marketed from 60 days after manufacture.

4.3. Geographical area: The milk used in the production of Queso de Murcia is produced in all the

municipalities of the Province of Murcia in south-east Spain.

The cheese is manufactured and matured in the production area of the milk.

The topography and landscape of the area are very varied and enjoy particular climatic conditions
(sub-tropical Mediterranean climate with low rainfall and high temperatures, generally saline soils
and scant water resources). The area is generally scrub or pastureland. Scrub rich in Labiatae and
Cistaceae is very common and provides the principal source of food for goats in dry, mountainous
areas.

4.4. Proof of origin: The milk used for the manufacture of these cheeses comes from Murcian goats on
holdings entered in the relevant register. The animals feed mainly on the Mediterranean herbage
and fodder in the defined geographical area. A number of factors, comprising the diet, stock-raising
methods, human experience,
the soil and the climatic conditions, guarantees and limits the
geographical origin of the cheeses. Both the raw material and the manufacturing process are
the
subject
cheeses are marketed with a numbered label guaranteeing their origin.

to checks in order to ensure the quality of

the final product. After checking,

4.5. Method of production: The milk is obtained under hygienic conditions using hand or mechanical
milking. The milk is filtered and then coagulated using animal rennet or other authorised enzymes.
Then, according to the type of cheese:

Fresh cheese: The milk is coagulated at 32 (cid:176)C to 35 (cid:176)C for 30 to 45 minutes. The curd is cut into
10 mm diameter granules and then heated to bring the temperature up to 3 (cid:176)C to 5 (cid:176)C above the
coagulating temperature. The curd is worked very lightly until a soft consistency is achieved and
then placed in moulds lined with esparto matting. Where appropriate, the cheese is pressed lightly
for a short while before salting for a maximum of ten hours with saline solution of a maximum of
16(cid:176) BØ. After draining, the cheese is maintained at a temperature of no more than 4 (cid:176)C.

Matured cheese: The milk is coagulated at 30 (cid:176)C to 34 (cid:176)C for 40 to 60 minutes. The curd is cut into
5 mm diameter granules and then heated to bring the temperature up to 3 (cid:176)C to 5 (cid:176)C above the
coagulating temperature. The curd is worked intensively until a hard consistency is achieved and
then placed in patternless moulds. The cheese is pressed for two to four hours until the correct pH
level is reached before salting for a maximum of 20 hours with saline solution of a maximum of
20(cid:176) BØ. It is matured for a minimum of 60 days.

4.6. Link: Traditionally,

fresh goats’ milk cheese has been made throughout Murcia for home
consumption or for sale in nearby villages, markets or bars. At the end of the 19th century,
Murcian goat-breeders began to specialise in dairy production. The first references to established
industrial processing date from the twenties and by the mid-nineties there were 17 cheese factories
in the region, processing 52 % of the region’s goats’ milk production.

In 1990, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food published the (cid:145)Catalogue of Spanish
cheeses(cid:146), which included these cheeses. More recently, the cheeses have been included on the
map of the (cid:145)One hundred best Spanish cheeses(cid:146).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 248/5

4.7. Inspection body

Name: Direcci(cid:243)n General de Agricultura e Industrias Agrarias de la Comunidad Aut(cid:243)noma de

Murcia.

Address: Plaza Juan XXIII, s/n, E-30071 Murcia.

4.8. Labelling: The cheeses must carry a label authorised by the inspection body with the words
(cid:145)Denominaci(cid:243)n de Origen (cid:147)Queso de Murcia(cid:148) (cid:146) and a numbered secondary label issued by that
body.

4.9. National requirements

(cid:151) Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 setting up regulatory bodies for designations of origin,

(cid:151) Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish legislation and Regu-
lation (EEC) No 2081/92 with regard to designations of origin and geographical indications of
foodstuffs,

(cid:151) Royal Decree No 1643/99 of 22 October 1999 laying down the procedure for processing
applications for registration in the Community Register of protected designations of origin and
protected geographical indications.

EC No: G/ES/00168/2000.11.08.

Date of receipt of the full application: 8 November 2000.

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2001/C 248/04)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned
Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the
Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The
arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the
application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO (x)

PGI (

)

National application No: 72

1. Responsible department in the Member State

1.1. Name:

Subdirecci(cid:243)n General de Denominaciones de Calidad y Relaciones Interprofesionales y
Contractuales, Direcci(cid:243)n General de Alimentaci(cid:243)n, Subsecretar(cid:237)a de Agricultura, Pesca y
Alimentaci(cid:243)n del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentaci(cid:243)n.

1.2. Address: Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid.

Tel.

Fax

(34) 913 47 53 94.

(34) 913 47 54 10.