Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2014-09-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, cheese, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, product designation

C_2014319EN.01002301.xml
17.9.2014   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 319/23
Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs2014/C 319/10This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).AMENDMENT APPLICATION
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (2)

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘OSSAU-IRATY’

EC No: FR-PDO-0417-01096 — 15.2.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )
1.   Heading in the specification affected by the amendment


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 Name of product

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 Description of product

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 Geographical area

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 Proof of origin

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 Method of production

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 Link

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 Labelling

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 National requirements

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 Other (to be specified)2.   Type of amendment(s)


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 Amendment to Single Document or Summary Sheet

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 Amendment to Specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the Single Document nor the Summary Sheet has been published.

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 Amendment to Specification that requires no amendment to the published Single Document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

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 Temporary amendment to Specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by the public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)3.   Amendment(s)
1.   Description of product
A more precise cheese description is added: the cheese is produced only from non-standardised ewe’s milk; it is salted and matured, and cylindrical in shape.The different cheese formats (mould size and weights) are clarified.The following is added:
‘“Ossau-Iraty” may be sold in pre-packaged portions provided that each portion includes the rind that is characteristic of the PDO and a label with the information specified in point 8.’
This allows ‘Ossau-Iraty’ to be more clearly distinguished from other pressed cheeses produced in the region which may be sold without a label.2.   Evidence that the product originates from the geographical area
Paragraphs are added regarding maintaining product registers, product identification and compulsory declarations that operators must make. They define the information that must be registered, and the requirements for PDO operators to ensure traceability.One paragraph regarding product identification is added:
‘Each cheese must be identifiable. This is ensured by adding an embossed label during cheese moulding. The label is scraped off cheeses that do not make the grade.’
Such identification is a means of distinguishing PDO-designated products from others as early as possible during cheese manufacturing, before labels are added.3.   Method of production

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The means of maintaining grazing areas are specified: ‘The permitted forms of organic fertiliser are: compost, dung, slurry, liquid manure of agricultural origin, co-compost from green waste, sewage sludge, and dairy waste. In summer pasture areas, only animal waste from animals in pens may be spread on pasture land. The spreading of sewage sludge is permitted only under the following conditions: it must be ploughed into land immediately and a latency period of at least eight weeks must be observed after spreading; each lot must be analytically monitored. In grassland areas, the average annual level of mineral fertilisation is limited to 100 units of nitrogen, 60 units of phosphorus, and 100 units of potassium per hectare.’
These measures are intended to limit intensive and excessive fertilisation, which risks upsetting the balance for natural flora in grassland areas and summer pastures and polluting watercourses. The spreading of sewage sludge is tolerated only under certain conditions, as such products are liable to introduce undesirable substances into the soil, which risk filtrating into forage.

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The terms ‘herd’ (all sheep present on a dairy holding) and ‘ewe’ (female sheep aged over 6 months on 1 November) are defined.

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The following is added: ‘Genetically modified animals are prohibited’ in order to protect the local characteristics of breeds.

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The following is added: ‘The milking period for the entire herd may not exceed 265 days per year, and milking is prohibited in the months of September and October.’
That measure ensures that milk production is seasonal and avoids any temptation to modify the seasonal pattern, fixing a compulsory ‘dry’ period which is required for ewes to be in good condition before lambing.

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The following is added: ‘Over one milk production year (1 November to 31 October the following year), average milk production per herd may not exceed 300 litres per ewe and the average useful dry matter must be greater than 110 grams per litre of milk.’
Given that the production of ‘Ossau-Iraty’ naturally relies on an extensive supply chain, milk production per ewe is restricted to avoid overly intensive farming. Fixing a minimum level for useful dry matter (UDM) is intended to encourage breeders to select animals that produce quality milk, rather than animals that produce milk in great quantities.—   The following is added: ‘The cultivation of GMO crops on holdings is prohibited, covering all types of plant likely to be given as feed to animals on the holding and all crops liable to contaminate such plants.’That requirement is intended to limit the risk of grass crops becoming contaminated, as genetically modified foodstuffs are prohibited for ruminants on holdings. The aim is to maintain the traditional feeding pattern associated with ‘Ossau-Iraty’ – a cheese with a strong reputation as a mountain product.—   As regards the animal feed, the following: ‘feeding is primarily based on grazing in the pastures where the animals are kept in the summer and lactation, forage grass, and secondary cereal crops’ is replaced by the following paragraphs:
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‘Herd feeding patterns are based on the following:

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feed must be sourced primarily from the identified geographical area. Feed (except grass) from areas other than that area is limited to an average of 280 kg of dry matter per ewe per milk production year;


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ewes must be allowed to graze at least 240 days per milk production year;


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during milking periods, on days when ewes do not graze, they must receive a daily ration of at least 600 grams of dry matter sourced from the identified geographical area, as defined in point 3 below.’

In order to strengthen the link with the geographical area, most of the feed consumed by the ewes comes from the identified geographical area. If there were not any measures setting a daily minimum, fodder from outside the geographical area could be used for a period of four months, or even longer during production peaks.The introduction of a minimum grazing period strengthens the link between the product and its geographical area, in keeping with traditional, regional breeding methods. The local species are indeed particularly well adapted to grazing all year round, and they need exercise to stay healthy. The chosen grazing period — equivalent to eight months out of twelve — is compatible with mountain conditions.—   The following is added: 

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The basic feed ration comprises grass, forage comprising fresh, dry and dehydrated long blades of grass, straw and fermented grass-based fodder. The straw is not treated with ammonia. Farms may use the following as fresh fodder: fodder beet, turnips, radishes, fodder cabbages, rapeseed fodder, and grass. Properly harvested green fodder must arrive at farms in a fresh state. It must not be allowed to heat up before it is fed to livestock. Leftovers must be cleared out of feeding troughs before new green fodder is added.’

These measures ensure that the feed allows ewes to maintain their ruminant characteristics. The feeding regime is defined primarily by the composition of the basic ration, then by feed supplements and concentrates.—   The following is added: 

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Fermented fodder in herd feeding regimes during milking periods: until 31 January 2018, the portion of fermented fodder per ewe per day is limited to an average of 1,5 kg gross weight of maize silage and 1 kg gross weight of baled grass or grass silage; baled grass must comprise at least 70 % dry matter. As of 1 February 2018, silage feeding is prohibited and baled grass feed is permitted up to an average gross weight of 1 kg per ewe per day, provided that the baled grass comprises at least 70 % dry matter.’

The aim is to safeguard the milk’s characteristics. The use of fermented fodder, which is liable to lead to certain forms of microbial contamination, is therefore limited. The use of baled grass is an alternative to hay in the event of wet weather. The rule will require an implementation period to allow certain milk producers to introduce a feeding regime allowing for the prohibition of silage fodder during milking periods.
The following is added: 

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Producers are allowed to mix feed types on their holding under certain conditions:

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feed types listed in point 5.2.6 may be mixed;


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feed included in the basic ration may be mixed with feed listed in 5.2.6, provided that this takes place on the date of distribution;


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it is prohibited to supply feed mixtures comprising feed in the basic ration and feed from the list of raw materials authorised as supplements to the basic ration, as defined in 5.2.6’.


This measure is intended to avoid the use of commercial full-feed products, since breeders do not know where they come from or often what is in them, and their use would sever the farming link with the geographical area.—   The following is added: ‘The portion of concentrates in a daily ration may not exceed an average of 800 grams of dry matter per ewe. Over the course of one year, the portion of concentrates may not exceed 150 kg of dry matter per ewe.’This limit is intended to safeguard ewes’ specific ruminant characteristics. Coupled with the measures setting a minimum annual grazing period and a minimum proportion of feed to be sourced from the geographical area, this limit and, broadly speaking, the choices of feed to be given to animals strengthen the link with the geographical area. The two — annual and daily — thresholds take account of the huge seasonal variation in grass-fodder resources and the natural cycle of a ewe.A list of authorised feedstuffs is also added, to prioritise the use of feed produced using farmers’ know-how. It also allows there to be precise information on the raw materials used to produce composite feed.
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The following paragraph is added to help conserve the traditional style of animal feeding:

‘Only non-genetically modified versions of the following are permitted as feed for small animals on holdings: plant species, composite products and feed supplements.’


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In order to support feeding programmes for young animals, as is the case for adult livestock, a positive list of authorised foodstuffs is added:

‘The following feeds may be given to lambs before weaning: dairy products, yeast, preservatives, carob pods. Only medicines with a curative effect are permitted.’


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The following is added:

‘Production is prohibited in September and October.’

This confirms that ‘Ossau-Iraty’ cheese production is seasonal, following the milk production cycle, which runs from November/December to June/July, and sometimes August.
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The phrase ‘used raw for farm cheeses’ is replaced by the following:

‘The milk may not be concentrated by partially removing the water in it before coagulation. Milk may be thermally treated when producing non-farm cheese.’

This confirms that milk must be in its natural state when used for cheese production, without any treatment other than thermal treatment — which is forbidden for the production of ‘farm’ cheese — in accordance with current practices.—   The stipulation: ‘After renneting the curd is separated, stirred, and scalded in a vat at between 36 and 44 °C’, is replaced by the following:‘Cheese production includes only the following steps:
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for farm cheese sifting over nettles is permitted;

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the only additives permitted in the milk are non-genetically modified forms of: rennet, calcium chloride (max. 3 cm3 per 10 litres of milk), water, innocuous bacterial cultures, yeast, and moulds.

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renneting takes place within 40 hours of the first milking for the production of farm cheese, and within 48 hours of the first milking for non-farm cheese. This takes place at a temperature of 28-35 °C, when a maximum of 3 cm3 of rennet per 10 litres of milk is added, with a standard rennet concentration of 520 mg of chymosin per litre. Drinking water may be added to dilute the rennet;

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the following processes are to take place at a temperature of no more than 44 °C: curdling, cutting, stirring, heating and re-heating. The stirring process may not exceed one hour. The grains of curd are equal to or less than 1 cm3 in size;

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the removal of lactose is permitted when producing non-farm cheese: the quantity of serum removed must be no more than 25 % of the volume of milk used for cheese production, and the quantity of drinking water added may not exceed 25 % of the volume of milk used for cheese production; the temperature of that water must be between 25 and 60 °C;

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moulding is carried out in cloth-lined perforated moulds or micro-perforated moulds (25,5-26 cm in diameter and 9-12 cm in height, or smaller moulds 18-20 cm in diameter and 7-10 cm in height. Farm cheese may also be produced in moulds 24-28 cm in diameter and 9-15 cm in height);

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in the pressing process, farm cheese is turned at least once;

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demoulding takes place once the pH value of the cheese is no more than 5,5;

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salting using dry salt or brine: dry salting takes place at an ambient temperature of no more than15 °C and the duration of the process may not exceed 24 hours per kilogram of cheese. The brine mixture comprises water and salt (with salt content of 330 grams/litre or less); the brine may contain acetic and/or lactic acid; its pH value must not exceed 5,5. Brine salting may not exceed 12 hours per kilogram of cheese. The temperature of the brine may not exceed 15 °C. It is permitted to filter the brine.’
As the description of stirring and scalding the curd in a vat is incomplete as a description of how to produce the product, each step in manufacturing the cheese, from the processing of the milk to salting, is clearly described. The target values for the time periods and temperatures to be observed are defined in accordance with the current practices. Furthermore, as the currently applicable Specification does not specify the conditions for lactose removal — a procedure used solely for production in a dairy, as it is adapted to mixtures of milk — parameters are set for that procedure in terms of the maximum quantity of serum to be removed, the maximum quantity of water to be added, and the temperature.
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Moreover, the use of treatments and additives in cheese-making used to be subject to general rules. However, it has emerged that certain new techniques, including a number of procedures involving treatments and additives, could affect the properties of ‘Ossau-Iraty’.
It is therefore necessary to define current practices regarding the use of treatments and additives for milk and for the production of ‘Ossau-Iraty’ in the Specification in order to prevent future practices not covered by the rules from compromising the cheese’s characteristics.The following is added:‘The raw materials, partly finished products, curd, and fresh cheese may not be kept at a temperature below zero °C.The technique of vacuum packaging is permitted, subject to compliance with the following conditions:
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if fresh cheese is vacuum-packed, this must take place within 10 days of the completion of brine treatment or salting;

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for the whole time that cheese is vacuum-packed, it must be stored at a temperature between 0 °C and 4 °C;

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cheese may be stored only for a maximum period of 10 months and all cheese produced within one calendar year must be removed from its vacuum packaging by 20 December of that year at the latest;

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when cheese is vacuum-packed, the maturing process counts as starting on the date when the cheese is removed from its vacuum packaging.’
Freezing is prohibited, as this process modifies the organoleptic properties of the cheese. The process of vacuum packaging allows the cheese maturing process and cheese sales to continue all year round, despite the seasonal nature of milk production and therefore of cheese production. The period of vacuum packaging counts as a waiting period before the cheese maturing process, as the vacuum-storage period does not count towards the time required for cheese maturing.—   The wording stating that: ‘the cheese is ripened in the PDO area for 90 days, which may be shortened to 60 days for small-format “Ossau-Iraty”’ is replaced by the following:
‘Cheese must be allowed to mature in the PDO area for at least 120 days for cheeses weighing 4-7 kg, and 80 days for cheeses weighing 2-3 kg. During the maturing process, the cheese must be stored at a temperature of 6-15 °C and the ambient humidity in the store room must be greater than 75 %.’
By extending the length of the maturing process, the cheese’s characteristics become more pronounced. Moreover, the conditions for the maturing process are defined in greater detail, in order to appropriately manage that procedure.
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The following description of the traditional practice of handling the cheese is added:

‘During the maturing process, cheese is turned and brushed. The brushing procedure may use the following: water, salt, surface ripening cultures, and/or red chilli paste.’


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In order to support such traditional practices, it is prohibited to apply one or more rind colouring agent(s) and natamycin (E235) to the cheese surface. The prohibition of polyvinyl acetate will require an implementation period of up to 1 November 2014 to allow all operators to implement alternative measures.
4.   Specific labelling details
The new wording calls more clearly for compulsory product labelling and a specific character size.There is no longer any requirement to include the ‘INAO’ logo on labels, but this is replaced by a requirement to include the EU’s ‘AOP’ (PDO) symbol and the option to include the wording ‘Appellation d’origine protégée’ (Protected designation of origin).The possibility of adding the words ‘fermier’ (farm product) or ‘montagne’ (mountain product) to products and the conditions for such usage are no longer applicable as they are no longer appropriate.5.   National requirements
Addition of the key points to check with regard to the Specification.SINGLE DOCUMENT
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (3)

‘OSSAU-IRATY’

EC No: FR-PDO-0417-01096 — 15.2.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )
1.   Name
‘Ossau-Iraty’2.   Member State or Third Country
France3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff
3.1.   Type of product
Class 1.3. Cheeses3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies
‘Ossau-Iraty’ is a cheese produced only from non-standardised, renneted ewe’s milk. The cheese is salted and matured, cylindrical in shape, uncooked and slightly pressed, with a straight or slightly convex heel. The total dry extract of the cheese must comprise at least 50 % milk fat and the dry matter must be at least 58 grams per 100 grams of cheese. Farm ‘Ossau-Iraty’ is produced exclusively from raw milk.Dimensions of moulds and weights of cheeses:
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moulds 25,5 to 26 cm in diameter and 9-12 cm in height produce matured cheeses of 4-5 kg in weight;

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moulds 18 to 20 cm in diameter and 7-10 cm in height produce matured cheeses of 2-3 kg in weight.
Farm ‘Ossau-Iraty’ may be produced in the aforementioned moulds, or for a larger-sized cheese, in moulds 24-28 cm in diameter and 9-15 cm in height for a cheese of 7 kg in weight.The body of the cheese has a colour varying from ivory white to amber-cream, according to the maturing process. The cheese is smooth, firm and creamy, and it may contain a few small holes.The rind is yellowy-orange to grey.The maturing process lasts at least 80 days for cheeses weighing 2-3 kg, and 120 days for cheeses weighing 4-7 kg.3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)
‘Ossau-Iraty’ is produced only from milk from ewes of the following breeds: Basque-béarnaise, Manech black head and Manech red head.Over one milk production year (1 November to 31 October of the following year), average milk production per herd may not exceed 300 litres per ewe. Milk production is seasonal: a herd may not be milked more than 265 days a year and milking is prohibited in September and October.3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)
Animal feed must be sourced primarily from the identified geographical area. The total feed (except grass) sourced from areas other than the identified geographical area is limited to an average of 280 kg of dry matter per ewe per milk production year.The basic feed ration comprises grass, forage comprising fresh, dry and dehydrated long blades of grass, straw and fermented grass-based fodder. Herds must be fed on the basis of a positive list of authorised raw materials, covering both their basic ration and feed supplements. Herds are fed on non-transgenic products.Ewes must be allowed to graze at least 240 days per year. During milking periods, on days when ewes do not graze, they must receive a daily ration of at least 600 grams of dry matter sourced from the identified geographical area.As regards herd feeding during milking periods:
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until 31 January 2018, the portion of fermented fodder per ewe per day is limited to an average of 1,5 kg gross weight of maize silage and 1 kg gross weight of baled grass or grass silage;

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as of 1 February 2018, the use of silage is prohibited and baled grass feed is permitted up to an average gross weight of 1 kg per ewe per day.
Those two provisions will apply on the condition that the baled grass comprises at least 70 % dry matter.The portion of feed concentrates in a daily ration may not exceed an average of 800 grams of dry matter per ewe. Over the course of one milking year, the portion of feed concentrates may not exceed 150 kg of dry matter per ewe.Transgenic crops are prohibited in all areas of farms producing milk intended for processing into the PDO product. This prohibition applies to all types of plant likely to be given as feed to animals on the holding and all crops liable to contaminate such plants.3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area
The sheep’s milk must be produced and the cheese produced and matured within the geographical area.3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.
‘Ossau-Iraty’ may be sold in pre-packed portions provided that each portion includes the rind that is characteristic of the PDO and a label with the information specified in point 3.7 below.3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling
Irrespective of the regulatory information requirements applicable to all cheeses, each cheese label must include the name of the PDO in characters measuring at least two thirds of the size of the largest lettering on the label.The EU’s ‘AOP’ (PDO) symbol must be included on the cheese labels.Labels may also include the words ‘Appellation d’origine protégée’ (Protected designation of origin).4.   Concise definition of the geographical area
The geographical area is made up of municipalities or parts of municipalities
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in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques:

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all municipalities within the cantons of Accous, Anglet, Aramits, Arudy, Biarritz, Bidache, Espelette, Hasparren, Hendaye, Iholdy, Laruns, Lasseube, Mauléon-Licharre, Navarrenx, Nay, Oloron, Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Saint-Palais, Sauveterre-de-Béarn, Tardets-Sorholus, and Ustaritz;


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the municipalities of Aressy, Assat, Auterrive, Ayherre, Bellocq, Bérenx, Bosdarros, Briscous, Carresse-Cassaber, Castagnède, Castetner, Cuqueron, Escos, Gan, Gelos, Hours, Isturits, Jurançon, Laà-Mondrans, La-Bastide-Clairence, Labastide-Villefranche, Labatmale, Lahonce, Lahourcade, Lanneplaà, Léren, Loubieng, Lucgarier, Lucq-de-Béarn, Mazères-Lezons, Meillon, Monein, Mouguerre, Mourenx, Narcastet, Noguères, Ozenx-Montestrucq, Parbayse, Rontignon, Saint-Dos, Saint-Faust, Saint-Pé-de-Léren, Saint-Pierre-d’Irube, Salies-de-Béarn, Salles-Mongiscard, Sarpourenx, Sauvelade, Uzos, Vielleségure, and Villefranque;


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parts of the following municipalities that fall within the region: Abos, Abidos, Arbus, Argagnon, Artigueloutan, Artiguelouve, Barzun, Bayonne, Bésingrand, Biron, Bizanos, Castétis, Denguin, Espoey, Gomer, Idron, Lacq, Labastide-Cézeracq, Lagor, Lahontan, Laroin, Lée, Lescar, Livron, Lons, Maslacq, Mont, Nousty, Orthez, Os-Marsillon, Ousse, Pardies, Pau, Pontacq, Siros, Soumoulou, Tarsacq, Urcuit, and Urt.

For the aforementioned municipalities, maps are available in the respective municipal offices.
Those municipalities are located along the left bank of the river Ousse, and then of the Gave de Pau, the Gaves réunis and, after their confluence, the Adour, as well as part of the municipality of Lons, located on the right bank of the Gave de Pau.

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in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, bordering the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Arbéost, Arrens-Marsous, and Ferrières.
5.   Link with the geographical area
5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area
The PDO area includes the mountains and foothills of the Basque and Béarn regions.The natural conditions of the geographical area, its coastal climate with a regular and significant level of rainfall (at least 1 200 mm/yr and up to 1 800 mm/yr), and the area’s relatively narrow temperature range promote the growth of pasture and therefore the breeding of dairy sheep. Likewise, the relief of the land, the hills, the low and mid-range mountains, as well as the altitude, have encouraged the development of extensive livestock farming.Traditional breeds of ewe are used for milk production. The breeds used are the local Manech black head, Manech red head, and Basque-béarnaise breeds, which are particularly well adapted to the conditions of the geographical area: grass and hay-based feed and a very rainy climate, which they tolerate on account of their ‘waterproof’ woolly fleece. These sheep graze throughout the year, even in winter, except on snowy days or in extreme conditions; they are adapted to seasonal migration and this practice is applied to three quarters of all herds. These local breeds only produce milk in winter, spring, and at the start of summer.Milking procedures are adapted to this seasonal production – milking and production are prohibited in September and October.The sheep’s milk in the geographical area is especially rich, so the production procedure guarantees that the average useful dry matter (fat content and protein content) is more than 110 grams per litre of milk.Practices and production methods are adapted to the richness of the milk. For this reason, when the cheese is put in the cellar, it may undergo changes such as lipolysis and proteolysis during the maturing process.Maturing practices used by operators (turning, brushing, ban on the use of all anti-fungal substances) help to ensure that the surface flora are useful flora that guarantee the development of the right flavours.5.2.   Specificity of the product
‘Ossau-Iraty’ is a lightly-pressed ewe’s milk cheese of the Tomme type, with a straight or slightly convex heel. Its rind is hard, a few millimetres thick, and its colour varies between yellowy-orange and grey. An ‘Ossau-Iraty’ cheese weighs at least 2 kilograms, which means that it takes a long time to mature, from 80 to 120 days according to size.The body of the cheese varies from ivory-white to amber-cream, according to the maturing process. The cheese has a smooth, firm, melt-in-the-mouth texture which ranges from creamy to hard. It may contain a few small eyes (holes).It has a subtle smell, which sometimes contains notes of flowers or fruit. It has an intense taste that is well-balanced in terms of acidity and fat content; the cheese is salty, but not excessively so, and its flavour is often nutty or fruity.5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
The geographical area comprises the mountains and foothills of the Basque and Béarn regions, which are primarily covered by natural and temporary grasslands; such pastures may be in the mountains, where most herds are taken in the summer, or on holdings where farmers primarily produce grass fodder for grazing and hay production.This vegetation enables the fodder to be produced in the geographical area (primarily hay and second-growth crops with grazing on mixed pastures).These resources are put to good use in the rearing of ewes of local breeds only (Manech black head, Manech red head, and Basque-béarnaise).The use of such local breeds, feeding based on grass and hay and rearing where intensive farming is limited guarantee that the milk produced is well suited to cheese-making.Ewe’s cheese has been produced in the western area of the Pyrenees since at least the Middle Ages. Sharecropping contracts from the 14th century and notarial documents from the early 15th century confirm that ewe’s cheese was produced in the region.The difficult transport conditions between the high-altitude, summer pastures and the valleys quickly led to farmers processing milk on-the-spot so as to produce cheese that could be easily transported down into the valleys to be sold.‘Ossau-Iraty’ belongs to a category of cheeses that are ‘pressed and uncooked’; weighing several kilograms, and with its pressed form, its shape, and its extensive maturing process, ‘Ossau-Iraty’ develops a relatively hard rind, thus fulfilling the criteria of being easily transportable. Given that the cheese can be stored for long periods, this guaranteed farmers and their families a protein-rich foodstuff for the whole year.Even though transportation is easier nowadays, the tradition of an extensive maturing process has been retained. The characteristics of the cheese, and its varied flavours, are obtained from the combination of adapted production techniques, in particular from the long cheese-maturing process.
Reference to publication of the specification
(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (4))https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCOssau-Iraty.pdf
(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.
(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
(3)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
(4)  See footnote 3.