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 248/5

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.

C 248/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6.9.2001

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 al Vino(cid:146)

4.2. Description: Full-fat cheese, pressed, washed but not cooked, made with Murcian goats’ milk. The
cheese is cylindrical in form, between 6 cm and 7 cm high, with a diameter of 7 cm to 9 cm and a
weight of 400 g or 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 and very thin, with a deep red colour obtained
by immersing the cheese in red doble pasta wine during maturing.

The interior is dense with a creamy, elastic texture. It is white in colour with a few small holes. It
has a pleasantly tangy, very slightly salty taste and the smell is mild. It is marketed from 45 days
after manufacture, although the small cheeses may be marketed after 30 days.

4.3. Geographical area: The production area includes all the municipalities of the Province of Murcia

in south-east Spain.

The cheese is manufactured and matured in the production area.

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 this cheese 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 complex of factors, comprising the diet, stockraising
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
subject
the
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
at 30 (cid:176)C to 34 (cid:176)C for 40 to 60 minutes. The curd is cut into 6 mm to 8 mm diameter granules. It
is then washed, 15 % of the whey extracted and water subsequently added. It is heated to bring the
temperature up to 3 (cid:176)C to 5 (cid:176)C above the coagulating temperature. The curd is worked lightly 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 45 days during which time it is immersed several times in
Murcian red doble pasta wine. Small cheeses must be matured for a minimum of 30 days.

6.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 248/7

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 diary production. PanØs, in (cid:145)La cabra Murciana: su
explotaci(cid:243)n, cuidados y mejora(cid:146)
(1922), says that the cheese could be eaten immediately or
matured, that the milk was coagulated using kids’ rennet macerated in wine and that maturing
involved salting the cheeses and moistening them repeatedly with wine. The first references to
established industrial processing date from the twenties.

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

The cheese is becoming increasingly popular on the national market and is exported to, among
other countries, the United States.

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 cheese 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 al vino(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/00204/2000.11.08.

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