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: 2001-09-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Franche-Comté, cheese, designation of origin, location of production

C 270/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.9.2001

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 270/04)

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 point 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: (cid:151)

1. Responsible department in the Member State

1.1. Name:

Institut national des Appellations d’origine (INAO)

1.2. Address: 138, Champs-(cid:201)lysØes, F-75008 Paris

Tel.

Fax

(33-1) 53 89 80 00

(33-1) 42 25 57 97.

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name:

Syndicat interprofessionnel de dØfense du fromage Morbier

2.2. Address: Valparc Espace Valentin, F-25048 Besan(cid:231)on Cedex

Tel.

Fax

(33-3) 81 50 69 43

(33-3) 81 50 69 42.

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x)

other (

).

3. Type of product: Class 1.3 cheeses.

4. Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. Name: Morbier.

4.2. Description: Morbier is a cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is pressed, uncooked, has a flat
cylindrical shape, smooth faces and slightly rounded sides.
Its rind is natural, smooth and
homogenous, varying in colour from light grey to beige-orange. The interior is an ivory to pale
yellow coloured paste, sometimes with discrete openings. It is supple, glossy and creamy, with a
fine texture and a slight creamy flavour. Its most distinctive feature is a horizontal black furrow
through the middle. Its weight varies from 5 to 8 kg, its diameter from 30 to 40 cm and its
height from 5 to 8 cm. Its fat content (fat/dry matter) is at least 45 % and moisture content in the
fat-free cheese (Fromage dØgraissØ (HFD)) is not more than 67 %.

4.3. Geographical area: The milk is produced and the cheeses are manufactured and matured in the
geographical area comprising all the communes in the Doubs and Jura departments (excepting
those in the canton of Chemin), 16 communes in the department of Ain and 13 communes in the
department of Sa(cid:244)ne-et-Loire.

25.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 270/5

4.4. Proof of origin: The dairy herd’s basic feed must come from the natural pastures of the delimited
area. Only milk fulfilling that criterion may enter the processing plants. Every milk producer, every
processing plant and every maturing plant fills in a (cid:145)dØclaration d’aptitude(cid:146) registered with the
INAO. Each operator must provide the INAO with a list of the operators in the production chain
he has dealings with. A yellow casein plate is used to identify the cheese. It is affixed at the time of
manufacture to the side of each cheese, bearing the day and month of manufacture. On the drum’s
label the identification of the maturing plant appears clearly (name or business name and address).
Each undertaking, on a plant-specific basis, where appropriate, must return each month, duly
completed, a statistical information sheet required by the Syndicat interprofessionnel de dØfense du
Morbier relating to the production and marketing of the (cid:145)Morbier(cid:146) AOC (controlled designation of
origin) cheese.

4.5. Method of production: The milk used to obtain the Morbier cheese comes exclusively from cows
of the MontbØliard or French Simmental breeds. The herds are taken to pasture according to local
traditions. The grazing land actually used on the holding must be at least one hectare per dairy
cow. The basic feed ration consists of forage coming from the pastures located in the geographical
area. The dairy cows are not at any time of the year given any silage products or other fermented
fodder, such as fodder preserved in the form of banded bales. Morbier cheese is made exclusively
from cow’s milk used in the raw state. With the exception of partial skimming, the addition of
rennet, lactic starters or salt (sodium chloride), nothing may be removed or added to the milk.
After being heated to a temperature not exceeding 40 (cid:176)C, the cheese is treated with rennet. The
curd is cut into grains about one centimetre thick. After the whey is drawn off, the curd is slightly
pressed to obtain cakes. Each cake is cut in half. The horizontal central black furrow is obtained
(carbo medicinalis vegetalis) before
exclusively by coating the face of half a cake with charcoal
pressing. Ripening takes place over a minimum period of 45 days from the day of manufacture,
at a temperature of between 7 (cid:176)C and 15 (cid:176)C. The rind is obtained exclusively by rubbing with salt
water, to which lactic starters are sometimes added. The use of colouring agents is prohibited.

4.6. Link: Morbier cheese is named after the commune of Morbier situated in the department of Jura in
Franche-ComtØ, about 15 kilometres from the Franco-Swiss border. There is evidence of
its
production dating back to the 18th century when it was very much a local product, mainly of
the Jura department. Originally it was primarily farmhouse made but later it was produced by
(cid:145)fruitiŁres(cid:146) (cheese cooperatives) in the Jura massif area. Already in 1942 a decree laid down that
Morbier cheese was manufactured in the departments of Jura and Doubs. Morbier is a cheese
produced in the high pastures of the Jura mountains where the natural floral diversity of the
grasses have allowed milk and cheese exhibiting highly valued and distinctive characteristics to be
produced. The production procedures are defined in such a way as to ensure that the region’s
distinctive features are preserved and find their expression in the product.

4.7. Inspection body

(cid:151) INAO, 138 avenue des Champs-(cid:201)lysØes, F-75008 Paris,

(cid:151) DGCCRF (cid:151) 59 boulevard V. Auriol, F-75703 Paris Cedex 13.

4.8. Labelling: Each cheese qualifying for the controlled designation of origin (cid:145)Morbier(cid:146) bears on its
label the name of the controlled designation of origin, appearing in letters at least as large as the
largest shown on the label, the words (cid:145)Appellation d’Origine contr(cid:244)lØe(cid:146) (controlled designation of
origin) and the logo comprising: the acronym (cid:145)INAO(cid:146), the name of the designation and the words
(cid:145)Appellation d’Origine contr(cid:244)lØe(cid:146). The name and address of the manufacturer must appear on the
cheese’s label.

4.9. National requirements: Decree concerning the (cid:145)Morbier(cid:146) controlled designation of origin.

EC No: G/FR/00179/2001.01.12.

Date of receipt of the full application: 12 January 2001.