Publication of an application for registration pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 8(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of specific character
Date: 2005-12-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Netherlands, dairy industry, hard cheese, product designation, product quality, semi-soft cheese

C 316/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

13.12.2005

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 8(1)
of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of specific character

(2005/C 316/07)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 8 and 9 of the above-
mentioned Regulation. Any objection to the application must be submitted to the competent authority in
the Member State concerned within a time limit of five months from the date of this publication.
Supporting arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under points 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, and
are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92.

APPLICATION FOR THE REGISTRATION OF A CERTIFICATE OF SPECIFIC CHARACTER

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2082/92

‘BOERENKAAS’

EC number: NL/00023/25.06.2003

1.

Competent authority:

Name:

Hoofdproductschap Akkerbouw (HPA)

Address: Postbus 29739

2502 LS Den Haag
Nederland

Tel.:

Fax:

070-370 85 02

070-370 84 44

2. Applicant group:

2.1. Name: Bond van Boerderijzuivelbereiders

2.2. Address: Postbus 29773
2502 LT Den Haag
Nederland
Tel.: (070) 338 29 60
Fax: (070) 338 28 12

2.3 Composition: manufacturers/processors (X) other ( )

The Bond van Boerderijzuivelbereiders represents the general
farmers and manufacturers of farm dairy products.

interests of its members,

i.e. dairy

The members of the Bond van Boerderijzuivelbereiders (BBZ) are manufacturers of
farm dairy
products using milk from their own herd (cattle, goats or sheep) to make cheese and other dairy
products. The BBZ has 420 members, of whom more than 350 make Boerenkaas.

3.

Type of product:

semi-hard or hard cheese made from raw milk

4.

Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 6(2))

4.1. N a me :

‘Boerenkaas’ (only in Dutch)

4.2. Sp e ci a l p r odu cti on or ma nu fa c tu r i ng me t h od:

Boerenkaas is a cheese made on the farm from raw milk from cattle, goats, sheep or buffalo. At least
half of the milk must come from the farm's own herd. Milk may be bought in from no more than
two other dairy farms, but the total quantity bought in may not be greater than the farmer's own
production.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The raw material used may be:

a. raw milk;

b. cream or skimmed or semi-skimmed milk obtained directly from the milk referred to in point a;

c. water.

The milk used must not have undergone heat treatment above 40 °C; the phosphatase activity must
be compatible with that of the raw milk used.

The milk must be processed into cheese within 40 hours of milking.

Auxiliary materials and additives

a. Cultures of microorganisms forming lactic acid, propionic acid and aromas (not genetically modi-

fied)

b. Rennet (within the meaning of Article 5(1)(a) of the Dairy Products (Commodities Act) Decree) —

‘Warenwetbesluit Zuivel’

c. Calcium chloride

d. Sodium nitrate

e. Seeds, herbs and/or spices

f. Sodium chloride (through soaking in brine)

Manufacturing process

— The raw milk is curdled at a temperature of approximately 30 °C within 40 hours of milking.

— A mixed strain culture of lactic acid bacteria brings about acidification.

— After cutting, stirring and draining off part of the whey, the whey and curd mixture is washed
once or twice with hot water, raising the temperature of the mixture to no more than 37 °C.

— After processing, the curd is placed in cheese moulds.

— Before or during pressing a casein mark is put on the cheese bearing the name Boerenkaas,

possibly supplemented by the name of the type of milk.

— After pressing and acidification over a number of hours, the cheese is soaked in a brine solution

of 18 to 22 % common salt (sodium chloride).

— The minimum ripening period on the farm is 13 days after the day on which processing began at

a temperature of at least 12 °C.

— To obtain its fully characteristic flavour, Boerenkaas is left to ripen further in the ripening room
on the farm or on the cheese merchant's premises. The length of the ripening process varies from
a few weeks to over a year.

4.3. T r a di ti ona l c h a r a c te r :

The name ‘Boerenkaas’ is specifically linked to a product traditionally made on the farm from raw
milk obtained mainly from the farm's own herd.

Up to 1874 all milk was processed on the farm. After that, milk gradually began to be industrially
processed. Milk used in cheese-making began to be pasteurised in the first few years of the twentieth
century. Pasteurisation meant that the character of dairy-made cheese was lost. On the farm, the tradi-
tional method of processing raw milk continued.

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Official Journal of the European Union

13.12.2005

As a result of enzymes naturally present in milk, i.e. milk lipase, and the presence of a bacteria flora
that enters the milk during and after milking, the cheese made from this raw milk has more taste,
described as fuller, stronger and tangier. For many consumers, this is what distinguishes the taste of
Boerenkaas from ‘industrially-made’ cheese. The taste becomes stronger as ripening progresses.

In 1982 new rules were laid down by the Decree and Order on Cheese Products based on the Agri-
cultural Quality Act, relating to cheese quality, the origin of the milk and the method of production.
The special quality label guarantees that Boerenkaas is a farm product, is made from raw milk, is kept
for only a short period and comes mainly from the farm's own herd.

This legislation also introduces the possibility of using milk from goats, sheep and buffalo in addition
to cow's milk and making cheese from raw milk with a lower fat content.

The aforementioned illustrates the specific character of the raw materials used and of the method of
production.

4.4. Pr odu ct de sc r i p t i on:

Boerenkaas is a (semi-) hard cheese made from raw milk from cattle, goats, sheep or buffalo. The fat
content of Boerenkaas varies depending on the fat content of the milk used.

The cheese may contain cumin or other seeds, herbs and/or spices.

The older the cheese becomes and the longer it ripens, the firmer and drier it becomes, thus produ-
cing hard cheese.

Examples of names of products are Goudse Boerenkaas, Goudse Boerenkaas met kruiden, Edammer
Boerenkaas, Leidse Boerenkaas, Boerenkaas van geitenmelk and Boerenkaas van schapenmelk.

Summary of characteristic properties and composition of Boerenkaas

Properties

Goudse Boerenkaas

Leidse Boerenkaas

Edammer Boerenkaas

Raw material

cow's milk

cow's milk

cow's milk

Boerenkaas (van geitenmelk),
Boerenkaas (van schapenmelk)
Boerenkaas (van buffelmelk)

goat's milk, sheep's milk,
buffalo milk

Shape

Rind

Texture

Hole formation

Gouda-shaped
(flat cylinder with rounded
edges)

Leiden-shaped
(flat cylinder with sharp
edges)

ball- or loaf-shaped

white to yellow rind,
required with coating

if

red rind,
coating

if required with

white to yellow rind,
required with coating

if

to yellow rind,

white
required with coating

if

firm to soft and malleable

firm to hard, cuttable

soft
to
cuttable

firm or

hard,

firm to soft and malleable

throughout

regular
the
cheese, hole diameter from
2 to approx. 15 mm; no
cracks (longer than 1 cm)

small
limited number of
holes,
throughout
regular
the cheese, hole diameter
from 1 to 3 mm; no
cracks

throughout

limited number of holes,
regular
the
cheese, hole diameter from
2 to approx. 8 mm; no
cracks

holes
evenly
spread
throughout, distributed or
closed body

pH

after 12 days between 5,20
and 5,40

after 12 days between 5,20
and 5,30

after 12 days between 5,20
and 5,30

after 12 days between 5,10
and 5,30

Fat content in dry matter (%)

full fat, at least 48%

fat content

40+,
in dry
matter more than 40% but
less than 45%

at least 45+

fat content

30+,
in dry
matter more than 30% but
less than 35%;
or
35+ fat
in dry
content
matter more than 35% but
less than 40%

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 316/19

Properties

Goudse Boerenkaas

Leidse Boerenkaas

Edammer Boerenkaas

Boerenkaas (van geitenmelk),
Boerenkaas (van schapenmelk)
Boerenkaas (van buffelmelk)

Max. moisture content

42,5% (12 days after manu-
facture)

45% (12 days after manu-
facture)

47% (12 days after manu-
facture)

46% (12 days after manufac-
ture)

Salt content %

Added ingredients

0,4% to a maximum of 4%
salt in the dry cheese

0,4% to a maximum of 4%
salt in the dry cheese

0,4% to a maximum of 5%
salt in the dry cheese

0,4% to a maximum of 4%
salt in the dry cheese

possibly
cumin,
herbs and/or spices

seeds,

cumin

possibly cumin

possibly seeds, herbs and/or
spices

Minimum length of ripening

13 days after first day of
manufacture

13 days after first day of
manufacture

13 days after first day of
manufacture

13 days after first day of
manufacture

Minimum ripening temperature 12 °C

12 °C

12 °C

12 °C

Phosphatase activity

normal level for raw milk

normal level for raw milk

normal level for raw milk

normal level for raw milk

4.5. M i ni mu m r e q u i r e me nts a nd i nsp e c ti on p r oc e du r e s to w h i c h sp e c i fi c c h a r a c te r i s

subje ct:

At present the rules on Boerenkaas are laid down in the Decree and Order on Cheese Products based
on the Agricultural Quality Act relating to cheese quality, the origin of the milk and the method of
production. The special quality label guarantees that Boerenkaas is a farm product, and is made from
raw milk which is kept for only a short time and comes mainly from the farm's own herd.

The requirements of this dossier, as described in section 4.2 (special production or manufacturing
method) and in the table in section 4.4 (characteristic properties and composition), apply to Boeren-
kaas with a certificate of specific character under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92. These are
laid down in the Agricultural Quality Order for dairy products and the Agricultural Quality Order for
cheese.

Every six to eight weeks each farm is inspected to ensure that fresh raw milk (not more than 40
hours old) is used in cheese-making and check use of the casein mark. Once per year administrative
checks are performed to verify from which farms the milk used comes. Checks for compliance with
the composition requirements cover the fat content in dry matter, moisture content and salt content
in dry matter. These parameters are checked six to eight times per year.

In addition to this, the inspection procedure is designed to check for compliance with the other char-
acteristic properties of the various types of Boerenkaas given in the table in section 4.4. These checks
on the characteristic properties are carried out visually once every six to eight weeks.

Inspection body: COKZ

Name:

Stichting Centraal Orgaan voor Kwaliteitsaangelegenheden in de Zuivel

Address: Kastanjelaan 7

Postbus 250
3830 AG Leusden
Nederland

5. Application for reservation under Article 13(2):

The Bond van Boerderijzuivelbereiders is applying for protection of the name ‘Boerenkaas’ in accord-
ance with Article 13(2)(a). Protection is applied for solely for ‘Boerenkaas’ written in Dutch.