Commission Regulation (EC) No 159/2009 of 25 February 2009 approving minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Chabichou du Poitou (PDO))
Date: 2009-02-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Poitou-Charentes, designation of origin, food additive, labelling, location of production, milk, product designation

L 53/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

26.2.2009

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 159/2009

of 25 February 2009

approving minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected
designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Chabichou du Poitou (PDO))

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of
20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications
and designations of origin for agricultural products and food­
stuffs (1), and in particular the second sentence of Article 9(2)
thereof,

(4)

in
The Commission has examined the amendment
question and decided that
justified. Since the
amendment is minor within the meaning of Article 9
of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the Commission may
approve it without following the procedure set out in
Articles 5, 6 and 7 of that Regulation.

is

it

(EC) No

In accordance with Article 18(2) of Commission Regu­
1898/2006 (3)
to
lation
Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, a
summary of the specification should be published,

pursuant

and

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

(1)

(2)

By virtue of the first subparagraph of Article 9(1) and in
accordance with Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No
510/2006, the Commission has examined France’s appli­
cation for the approval of an amendment to the specifi­
cation for the protected designation of origin ‘Chabichou
de Poitou’, registered under Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1107/96 (2).

The purpose of the application is to amend the specifi­
cation by stipulating the conditions for using treatments
and additives to the milk and for the manufacture of
‘Chabichou du Poitou’. These practices ensure that the
key characteristics of the PDO product are maintained.

Article 1

The specification for
the protected designation of origin
‘Chabichou du Poitou’ is hereby amended in accordance with
Annex I to this Regulation.

Article 2

A summary of the main points of the specification is given in
Annex II to this Regulation.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 February 2009.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
(2) OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 369, 23.12.2006, p. 1.

26.2.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 53/9

ANNEX I

The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Chabichou du Poitou’ is amended as follows:

‘Method of production’

The following provisions are added to point 5 of the specification regarding the production method:

‘(…) Coagulation must be carried out using rennet only.

The milk must not be concentrated by partially removing the watery part before coagulation.

In addition to the raw dairy materials, the only ingredients or production aids or additives authorised in the milk and
during production are rennet, innocuous bacterial cultures, yeasts, moulds, calcium chloride and salt.

(…) The dairy raw materials, partly finished products, curd and fresh cheese must not be conserved at a temperature
below 0 °C.

(…) Fresh cheese and cheese undergoing the maturing process must not be conserved under a modified atmosphere.’

L 53/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

26.2.2009

Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical

indications and designations of origin for

ANNEX II

SUMMARY

agricultural products and foodstuffs

‘CHABICHOU DU POITOU’

EC No: FR-PDO-0117-0115/29.03.2006

PDO (X)

PGI (

)

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

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO)

Name:
Address: 51 rue d’Anjou – 75008 Paris — FRANCE

Tel.:

Fax:

+33 153898000

+33 153898060

e-mail:

info@inao.gouv.fr

2. Group

Name:

Address:

Syndicat de défense du Chabichou du Poitou
Agropole — Route de Chauvigny — BP 50002 — 86550 Mignaloux Beauvoir — FRANCE

Tel.:

Fax:

+33 549447480

+33 549467905

e-mail:

filieres-lait@poitou-charentes.chambagri.fr

Composition: Producers/processors (X) Other (

)

3.

Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

4.

Specification

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

4.1. Name

‘Chabichou du Poitou’

4.2. Description

Unpressed soft cheese made from goat’s milk, white inside with a thin skin; in the shape of a truncated cone, known
as a ‘bonde’. The cheeses are approximately 6 cm high and the average weight is 120 grams. Fat content: 45 %.

4.3. Geographical area

D e p a r t m e n t o f V i e n n e

The cantons of Châtellerault, Charroux, Civray, Couhé, Gençay, Lencloître, Lusignan, Mirebeau, Moncontour,
Neuville, Poitiers, Saint-Georges-lès-Baillargeaux, Saint-Julien-l’Ars, La Villedieu-du-Clain, Vivonne and Vouillé: all
the communes.

The communes of Arçay, Availles-en-Châtellerault, Beaumont, Berthegon, Bonneuil-Matours, Bouresse, Cenon,
Chalais, Chauvigny, Chouppes, Coussay, Curzay-sur-Dive, Dercé, Glenouzé, Guesnes, Lhommaizé, Loudun, Maulay,
Mauprévoir, Messemé, Monthoiron, Monts-sur-Guesnes, Moussac, Mouterre-Silly, Prinçay, Queaux, Ranton, La Roche-
Rigault, Saint-Laon, Saint-Laurent-de-Jourdes, Saint-Martin-l’Ars, Saires, Sammarçolles, Sérigny, Ternay, Verrières,
Verrue, Le Vigeant and Vouneuil-sur-Vienne.

26.2.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 53/11

D e p a r t m e n t o f D e u x - S è v r e s

The cantons of Airvault, Celles-sur-Belle, Chef-Boutonne, Lezay, Mazières-en-Gâtine, Melle, Ménigoute, La Mothe-
Saint-Héray, Saint-Loup-Lamairé, Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole-2, Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole-Ville, Sauzé-Vaussais, Thénezay,
Thouars-1 and Thouars-Ville: all the communes.

The communes of Augé, Asnières-en-Poitou, Azay-le-Brûlé, Brieuil-sur-Chizé, Brioux-sur-Boutonne, Brûlain, La
Crèche, Chérigné, Ensigné, Geay, Glénay, Juillé, Luché-sur-Brioux, Lusseray, Luzay, Paizay-le-Chapt, Périgné, Pier­
refitte, Prahecq, Saint-Martin-de-Bernegoue, Sainte-Gemme, Saint-Varent, Saivres, Secondigné-sur-Belle, Séligné,
Vernoux-sur-Boutonne, Villefollet, Villiers-sur-Chizé and Vouillé.

D e p a r t m e n t o f C h a r e n t e

The communes of Adjots, Benest, Bernac, Bioussac, Le Bouchage, Brettes, Champagne-Mouton, La Chèvrerie, Condac,
Courcôme, Empuré, La Faye, La Forêt-de-Tessé, Londigny, Longré, La Magdeleine, Montjean, Nanteuil-en-Vallée,
Paizay-Naudoin-Embourie, Raix, Ruffec, Saint-Gourson, Saint-Martin-du-Clocher, Souvigné, Taizé-Aizié, Theil-
Rabier, Vieux-Ruffec, Villefagnan and Villiers-le-Roux.

4.4. Proof of origin

Every milk producer, processing plant and maturing plant fills in a ‘declaration of aptitude’ registered with the INAO
which enables the INAO to identify all operators involved. All operators must keep at the INAO’s disposal their
registers and any documents required for checking the origin, quality and production conditions of the milk and
cheese.

As part of the checks carried out on the specified features of the designation of origin, an analytical and organoleptic
test is conducted to ensure that the products submitted for examination are of high quality and possess the requisite
typical characteristics.

4.5. Method of production

The milk must be produced, and the cheese must be manufactured and matured within the geographical area.

Whole goat’s milk, with a small amount of rennet added, curdled by lactic acid. The fresh curd, pre-drained or not, is
placed in a perforated mould in the shape of a truncated cone. It is left to drain for 18 to 24 hours, salted on the
surface. It is then left to dry for a further 24 to 48 hours. Matured for at least 10 days at a temperature of 10 to
12 °C and 80 to 90 % humidity.

4.6. Link

The name comes from the Arabic word ‘chebli’ meaning goat. The cheese was made by the Saracens who were
defeated at Poitiers in 732 but remained in the area, confined to a hill nearby. The name ‘Chabichou’ appears in
Charles de Cherge’s 1782 ‘Guide du voyageur à Poitiers’. It is associated with the Poitou region and its praises were
sung in a sonnet by Emile Bergerat in 1910 and in a 1914 song. The designation was applied for in 1989 and the
designation of origin obtained in 1990.

Chabichou du Poitou is produced in the Seuil du Poitou geological area: homogeneous limestone terrain, where
goats have been reared for centuries and there is a long tradition of producing and processing this particular cheese.

4.7. Inspection body

Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO)

Name:
Address: 51 rue d'Anjou — 75008 Paris — FRANCE

Tel.:

Fax:

+33 153898000

+33 153898060

e-mail:

info@inao.gouv.fr

L 53/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

26.2.2009

The Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité is a public administrative body with legal personality and reports to
the Ministry of Agriculture.

Name: Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF)

Address: 59 boulevard Vincent-Auriol — 75703 Paris Cedex 13 — FRANCE

Tel.:

+33 144871717

Fax:

+ 33 144973037

The DGCCRF is a department of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment.

4.8. Labelling

The product must bear the wording ‘Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée’ and the name of the designation of origin.
The words ‘Appellation d’Origine’ must appear on the label.
The words ‘Fabrication fermière’ or ‘Fromage fermier’ should also appear.