Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification 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 2020/C 223/06
Date: 2020-07-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Marches, consumer information, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, sheep's milk cheese








C_2020223EN.01002001.xml










7.7.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 223/20






Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification 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
(2020/C 223/06)
This 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) within three months from the date of this publication.
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012


‘Casciotta d’Urbino’


EU No: PDO-IT-0005-AM01 – 30.7.2018


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consorzio di Tutela Casciotta d’Urbino DOP (‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO Protection Consortium], Via Corbara, 81 – 61030 Colli Metauro (Pesaro e Urbino, Italia), tel. +39 0721879832, fax +39 0721879807; email casciottadiurbino@.it
The ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO Protection Consortium is formed by ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ cheesemakers. It is authorised to submit an amendment application under Article 13(1) of Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy Decree No 12511 of 14 October 2013.
2.   Member State or third country

Italy
3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)







☐


Product name










☒


Product description










☒


Geographical area










☒


Proof of origin










☒


Production method










☐


Link










☒


Labelling










☒


Other: the articles of the specification are renamed, and some articles on the designation and the inspection body are inserted;




4.   Type of amendment(s)







☐


Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012










☒


Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012




5.   Amendment(s)

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO was registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 following the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.
The details of the PDO at issue can be found in the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources Decree dated 4 August 1993, in the summary and in a five-page report.
This amendment therefore consists of putting all the information contained in those different documents into the product specification, thus bringing the specification into line with the Regulation.

Description of product

The amendment concerns Article 2 of the specification (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources Decree dated 4 August 1995), now point 3.2 of the single document.






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The upper limit of the height of wheels of cheese is to be increased.




The text currently reads:

‘Wheel height from 5 cm to 7 cm’

It is to be replaced by:

‘Wheel height from 5 cm to 9 cm’

As inspections over the years have shown, the height of the wheel of cheese can be greater than the 7 cm currently stated in the specification, the diameter and weight requirements remaining the same.
This measurement is to be corrected so that cheeses cannot be found non-compliant due only to an error made when the product specification was drafted, essentially because the data available were not fully representative of the true circumstances in ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ cheesemaking.






—


The following has been added:

‘Any substance permitted by the applicable rules may be used to coat the surface of the cheeses. This outer surface (rind) is not edible.’





Although this practice, which is used by some cheesemakers, is not banned by the current specification, it seems advisable to add this explicit reference.

Geographical area

The geographical area has been adapted to reflect administrative changes, specifying that some municipalities belong to the province of Rimini. Article 1 of the specification (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources Decree dated 4 August 1995), point (f) of the summary, point 4 of the single document.
The current wording reads:
‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is made and matured within the province of Pesaro e Urbino, which is also the area of origin of the milk used.
It is to be replaced by:
‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is made and matured within the province of Pesaro e Urbino, as well as in the municipalities of Novafeltria, Talamello, Sant’Agata Feltria, Casteldelci, Maiolo, San Leo and Pennabilli in the province of Rimini. This is also the area of origin of the milk used.
The geographical area itself has not changed, but some municipalities that formed part of the province of Pesaro e Urbino when the designation was registered now belong to the province of Rimini.

Proof of origin

A specific article on proof of origin, not currently present in the specification, is to be added.
This article reads as follows:
‘Article 4
Proof of origin
Each stage in the production process is monitored and all inputs and outputs recorded. This ensures product traceability, which is also aided by listing farmers, cheesemakers, maturing premises, portion-cutters and packagers on registers kept by the inspection body and ensuring that all quantities produced are promptly declared. All individuals and entities listed on the registers are subject to checks by the inspection body in accordance with the terms of the specification and the pertinent inspection plan.
Inserting information on proof of origin will bring the product specification into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

Method of production







—


The first paragraph of Article 2 of the product specification was amended by removing:






—


the description of the cheese as a ‘semi-cooked cheese’;










—


the words ‘from two daily milking sessions’.








The current wording:
‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is a semi-cooked cheese made from milk – between 70 % and 80 % whole sheep’s milk, with whole cows’ milk from two daily milking sessions making up the remaining 20-30 % – from the area described in Article 3.
is replaced by:
‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is a cheese made from milk – between 70 % and 80 % whole sheep’s milk, with whole cows’ milk making up the remaining 20-30 % – from the area described in Article 3.
The reason for removing the word ‘semi-cooked’ is that ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ does not meet the requirements for definition as a ‘semi-cooked cheese’ (formaggio a pasta semicotta) in the most widely used classifications. Over the years this definition has caused some problems at the control stage. The deletion of this term therefore corrects an inaccuracy in the current specification and does not alter the specificity or the characteristics of the product.
The removal of the reference to two daily milking sessions reflects the need to introduce the possibility of using robotic milking systems.
As years of testing have shown, checking that a cheese meets the required fat-to-casein ratio is sufficient to ensure that it has the characteristics laid down in the product specification. The use of robotic milking systems does not affect the properties of the milk in technical or scientific terms, while animal welfare standards are improved.






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Details of livestock breeds and diets that until now have only been present in documents held by the ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ Protection Consortium are to be included in the specification.




The list of breeds referred to in the file used to register the ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ name is actually to be considered as a representative rather than exhaustive list of the sheep breeds present on the holdings at the time of registration.
The documentation accompanying the application for registration included in the Commission files does not mention the cattle breeds, although it does mention the following sheep breeds: Sarda, Sopravvissana, Gentile di Puglia, Vissana, Merino.
The more comprehensive and more detailed documents from the producers’ association refer to the following
sheep breeds: Sarda, Sopravvissana, Gentile di Puglia, Merino, Comisana, Massese, Vissana, Cornella White, Fabrianese, Pinzirita and crosses of those breeds;
cattle breeds: Italian Friesian, Italian Brown, Italian Red Pied, Jersey and crosses of those breeds.
Accordingly, the full list of the sheep and cattle breeds whose milk is used for the production of ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is being added to the specification in the proposed wording.
It is also proposed to add the following sheep breeds: Delle Langhe, Lacuane and Assaf.
Adding the above breeds is also justified by their adaptation to semi-fixed housing. Indeed, for about 10 years the farms have been subject to frequent and harmful attacks from wolves that roam the area, even in the daytime, forcing farmers to reduce grazing periods and give preference to breeds that are better adapted to being kept in housing, if necessary.
The new text to be inserted is as follows:
‘The sheep breeds are: Sarda, Sopravvissana, Gentile di Puglia, Merino, Comisana, Massese, Vissana, Cornella White, Fabrianese, Delle Langhe, Lacaune, Assaf, Pinzirita and crosses of those breeds.
The cow’s milk is to be obtained from the Italian Friesian, Italian Brown, Italian Red Pied, Jersey and crosses of those breeds.
As far as the animal feed is concerned, the text notes that:
Livestock may be housed or kept at pasture.
At least 50 % of the basic feed for the dairy cattle, made up of fodder (fresh or dried), feed or feed-concentrates, must come from the area of origin identified in Article 3 and must be fed to lactating cows, dry cows and heifers over 7 months old. At least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration should come from feed produced in the milk production area identified in Article 3. The fodder allowed is: fresh fodder from permanent or temporary meadows, fodder crops, hay obtained from drying the crops in the field, straw from cereals, grass silage, chopped grass and hay silage. The feed allowed is: cereals and cereal products, corn mash, oilseeds and oilseed products, tubers and roots, dry fodder and products of the sugar industry such as molasses and/or derivatives, only as processing aids and flavours up to a limit of 2,5 % of dry matter in the daily ration. Also permitted are: legume seeds and dried locust beans and their derivatives, fats, mineral salts authorised by the legislation in force and additives such as vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, flavourings and antioxidants authorised by the legislation in force, with the added requirement that any antioxidants and flavourings used must be natural or nature-identical. The use of inactive brewer’s yeast in food additive premixes is also permitted.
The sheep’s basic diet consists of forage (fresh or preserved), feed and/or concentrates, at least 50 % of which must come from the area of origin defined in Article 3. At least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration should come from feed produced in the milk production area identified in Article 3.
The fodder for both types of animal does not come entirely from the geographical area because, due to the progressive abandonment of farming and the geographical and climatic conditions, the area is not currently, nor cannot in the future be expected to be, able to satisfy the farms’ entire needs for feed. As there is no possibility of replacing this with other top-quality fodder within the area, it is thus necessary to allow the use of fodder, concentrates and complementary feedingstuffs from outside the area. These products have high rates of degradation and solubility (feed with a particle size of less than 0.8 cm) and provide energy (mainly constituted of reserve carbohydrates such as starch) and readily available protein for the microbiome. As their role is limited to a physiological function in support of that microbiome, they have no impact on the characteristics of the milk and of the ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’. The intake of a rich, fodder-based ration, with at least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration produced in the area, contributes to the chemical and sensory characteristics of the raw material and of the finished product. It is thus an essential link between the raw material, the finished product and the territory.’
This amendment responds to the need to bring the product specification into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.






—


Amendment of Article 2(a) of the current specification:




This Article now specifies that the milk may be raw or pasteurised. It also allows the option of using starter cultures. The sentence describing the stage following extraction of the curds has also been reworded.
The current wording reads:
The sheep and cow’s milk is curdled at around 35 °C using liquid and/or powdered rennet. The cheeses must be manually pressed in suitable moulds, using the characteristic technique.
It is to be replaced by:
The raw or pasteurised sheep and cow’s milk is curdled at around 35 °C using liquid and/or powdered rennet. Starter cultures may also be used. The curds must be placed in suitable moulds to press out the whey.
Since the current specification gives no indication as to whether the milk must be raw or heat-treated, it has been considered appropriate to specify (including so as to allow proper monitoring) that the milk used may be either raw or heat-treated. This has in fact always been the practice in the production of ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’.
The general improvement in the microbiological characteristics of the milk obtained in recent years has led to a significant decrease in the bacteria present, which in some cases has caused problems in the coagulation and maturation stages. To overcome these potential problems, the specification now includes an option to use lactic starter cultures.






—


Article 2(b) has been amended.




The current text reads:
‘Cheesemakers may either dry-salt the cheeses or alternate between brining and dry-salting. The cheese must be left to mature for 20 to 30 days at a temperature of 10-14 °C and humidity of 80-90 %, depending on the size.
It is to be replaced by:
‘Salting: Cheesemakers may either dry-salt or brine the cheeses. The cheese must be left to mature for 15 to 30 days at a temperature of 8-14 °C and humidity of 80-90 %, depending on the size.
The description of salting methods has been reworded, the minimum maturing time has been reduced from 20 to 15 days and the minimum maturing temperature has been reduced from 10 °C to 8 °C.
When the producers used the word ‘alternate’ in the specification, their intention was that these two options were to be ‘alternatives’, i.e. cheesemakers have a choice between the two options. It has therefore been decided to simplify the description of this production step in order to avoid any misconceptions.
Advances in technology adopted by cheesemakers over the years, including adaptations to comply with EU health and hygiene legislation, have improved the production process, so the standards laid down in the product specification for ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ can be reached with a shorter maturing time.
The reduction in maturation temperatures was necessary because in recent years the use of more precise thermometers in the places where ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is matured has revealed the need to review this parameter to prevent non-compliance on a product with the characteristics of ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’.

Link

The specification is also to include a specific article on the link, which until now has appeared only in the summary. The information from points (d) and (f) of the summary is therefore to be included in the specification as Article 6, entitled ‘Link with the geographical area’. Some information has also been added as provided for by the EU Regulation.
The article to be inserted is as follows:
‘Article 6
Link with the local area
The geographical link stems from the specific local soil and climate conditions, as well as the practice of farming, which is mainly carried out using the local pastures. The rational use of very degraded or degradable pastures prevents over-exploitation and improves the characteristics of the pastures by ensuring a greater agro-sylvo-pastoral balance. A contributing factor is the extensification of crop production which, in addition to ensuring the upkeep of agricultural and forestry land, characterises its composition, giving the milk and thus the cheese its characteristic aroma and flavour. Notable human factors include the cheese’s historical presence and how it has spread throughout the defined area.
Specifically, sheep and cattle farming dates back as far as 1500, when this was favoured by the policies of the Dukes of Montefeltro and Rovere to restrict the practice of transhumance within their lands.
A great deal of evidence dating back to the Renaissance era attests to the historical presence of cheese in the defined area.
The product’s specificity comes from its size, weight and heel height, which are closely linked to the use of terracotta and pottery moulds with a closed, convex bottom and a small hole for draining the whey, typical of the Urbania area.
Another very specific feature is the composition of the milk mixture used to produce the cheese (70 % sheep’s milk and 30 % cows’ milk)
The production practices, centuries-old traditions and the climate and environmental conditions give this product its specific organoleptic and commercial characteristics. ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ has a thin rind, which typically takes on the colour of straw after maturation. When cut, it has a whitish straw colour paste, a soft and crumbly texture, and is characterised by a light scattering of eyes (known as ‘buchini’, which are formed as a result of the natural production of gas). As ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is not matured, it retains the flavours typical of fresh milk, which is particularly evident in its fresh and aromatic scent. ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ has a sweet, full and pleasantly acidic taste, typical of sheep and cows’ milk.

Labelling

The Article concerning how the product is to be labelled and marketed is to be extended (Article 3 of the current specification, Article 8 of the proposed specification). The specifications on the PDO logo, which until now were described in an annex, are now also to be included in the body of the product specification.
The current wording is as follows:
When released for consumption, cheese under the ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ designation of origin must be labelled with the logo shown in Annex A (an integral part of this Decree) as a guarantee that it meets all relevant legal requirements.
This has been replaced by:
‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO cheeses are released for consumption either whole or in portions.
An information label must be attached to one of the two flat sides of the marketed product.
As well as the product logo, the EU symbol and specific wording (as per EU rules), and the information required by law, this label must also state the following in clear and legible characters:






—


‘Casciotta d’Urbino’; which must not be translated, followed either by the initials (DOP) (or PDO) or in full by the translatable wording ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ (Protected Designation of Origin);










—


the name, business name and address of the cheesemaker, maturing premises and packager.




The product may be sold vacuum-packed, either whole or in portions.
References to names, business names or brand names may be used provided these have no laudatory purport and are not misleading to the consumer. Other truthful and verifiable references that are permitted under current legislation may also be used, provided that they do not conflict with the purposes and content of this product specification.
The logo consists of a simple depiction of a wheel of cheese with a quarter-sized portion cut out. The cheese is coloured in two shades of straw yellow (pantone 102 and pantone 100) and outlined in blue (pantone Reflex Blue).
A swallow-tail ribbon in red (pantone 032) can be seen emerging from below the wheel of cheese.
The logo is topped by the words ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ in a semi-circle (Futura Bold typeface in pantone Reflex Blue).
The logo may be adapted to different uses.



This improves the article by including information that makes it more comprehensive and easier for consumers to understand.

Other







—


A specific article on the product name, not currently present in the specification, is to be added.




This article reads as follows:

‘Article 1
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ may be used only for cheese that meets the conditions and requirements laid down in this product specification.’







—


A specific article on the inspection body, not currently present in the specification, has been added.




This new article reads as follows:
‘Article 7

Inspections


Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, an inspection body checks that the product meets the requirements of the specification.


Inspections to check that the product meets the requirements of the specification are carried out by the Public Inspection Authority (APC) of the Marche Food and Farming Services Agency (ASSAM) (Via dell’Industria n. 1 I-60027 Osimo Stazione (Ancona, Italia), tel. +39 0718081, fax +39 07185979, email direzione@assam.marche.it).

This amendment responds to the need to bring the product specification into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.






—


The articles of the specification have been renamed, and some articles on the inspection body have been inserted, hence the specification is now structured as follows:




Article 1 Name, Article 2 Characteristics of the product, Article 3 Area of production, Article 4 Proof of origin, Article 5 Method of production, Article 6 Link with the geographical area, Article 7 Inspections, Article 8 Packaging and labelling.
This amendment makes it possible to consolidate all the information required by the Regulation in the specification, making it more readable.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’


EU No: PDO-IT-0005-AM01 – 30.7.2018


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in 1 applies

When released for consumption, ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO has the following characteristics:
shape: a low cylindrical wheel of cheese with rounded sides;
Dimensions: 12-16 cm in diameter and 5-9 cm in height;
weight between 800 g and 1200 g depending on size;
external appearance: thin rind, around 1 mm thick, straw-coloured at the end of the maturing process;
paste: soft and crumbly internal consistency with a light scattering of eyes, presenting a whitish straw colour when cut;
taste: a mild taste, typical of the specific cheesemaking practices used;
fat in dry matter: not less than 45 %. The product is used as a table cheese.
Any substance permitted by the applicable rules may be used to coat the surface of the cheeses. This outer surface (rind) is not edible.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is a cheese made from between 70 % and 80 % whole sheep’s milk, with whole cows’ milk making up the remaining 20-30 %.
The permitted breeds of sheep are: Sarda, Sopravvissana, Gentile di Puglia, Merino, Comisana, Massese, Vissana, Cornella White, Fabrianese, Delle Langhe, Lacaune, Assaf, Pinzirita and crosses of those breeds.
The cow’s milk is to be obtained from the Italian Friesian, Italian Brown, Italian Red Pied, Jersey and crosses of those breeds.
Livestock may be housed or kept at pasture.
At least 50 % of the basic feed – which consists of fodder (fresh or dried), feed or feed-concentrates – for the dairy cattle and fed to lactating cows, dry cows and heifers over 7 months old, must come from the area of origin defined in point 4. At least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration must come from feed produced in the identified geographical area defined in point 4. The fodder allowed is: fresh fodder from permanent or temporary meadows, fodder crops, hay obtained from drying the crops in the field, straw from cereals, grass silage, chopped grass and hay silage. The feed allowed is: cereals and cereal products, corn mash, oilseeds and oilseed products, tubers and roots, dry fodder and products of the sugar industry such as molasses and/or derivatives, only as processing aids and flavours up to a limit of 2,5 % of dry matter in the daily ration. Also permitted are: legume seeds and dried locust beans and their derivatives, fats, mineral salts authorised by the legislation in force and additives such as vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, flavourings and antioxidants authorised by the legislation in force, with the added requirement that any antioxidants and flavourings used must be natural or nature-identical. The use of inactive brewer’s yeast in food additive premixes is also permitted.
At least 50 % of the basic diet – forage (fresh or preserved), feed and/or concentrates – fed to sheep must come from the identified geographical area. At least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration should come from feed produced in the milk production area defined in point 4.
The fodder for both types of animal does not come entirely from the geographical area because, due to the progressive abandonment of farming and the geographical and climatic conditions, the area is not currently, nor cannot in the future be expected to be, able to satisfy the farms’ entire needs for feed. As there is no possibility of replacing this with other top-quality fodder within the area, it is thus necessary to allow the use of fodder, concentrates and complementary feedingstuffs from outside the area. These products have high rates of degradation and solubility (feed with a particle size of less than 0,8 cm) and provide energy (mainly constituted of reserve carbohydrates such as starch) and readily available protein for the microbiome. As their role is limited to a physiological function in support of that microbiome, they have no impact on the characteristics of the milk and of the ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’. The intake of a rich, fodder-based ration, with at least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration produced in the area, contributes to the chemical and sensory characteristics of the raw material and of the finished product. It is thus an essential link between the raw material, the finished product and the territory.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All the stages in the production process (rearing the cattle, milking, cheesemaking and maturing) must take place in the identified geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ PDO cheeses are released for consumption either whole or in portions. The product may be sold vacuum-packed, either whole or in portions.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

An information label must be attached to one of the two flat sides of the marketed product.
As well as the product logo, the EU symbol and specific wording (as per EU rules), and the information required by law, this label must also state the following in clear and legible characters:






—


‘Casciotta d’Urbino’; which must not be translated, followed either by the initials (DOP) (or PDO) or in full by the translatable wording ‘Denominazione di Origine Protetta’ (Protected Designation of Origin);










—


the name, business name and address of the cheesemaker, maturing premises and packager.




References to names, business names or brand names may be used provided these have no laudatory purport and are not misleading to the consumer. Other truthful and verifiable references that are permitted under current legislation may also be used, provided that they do not conflict with the purposes and content of this product specification.
The logo consists of a simple depiction of a wheel of cheese with a quarter-sized portion cut out. The cheese is coloured in two shades of straw yellow (pantone 102 and pantone 100) and outlined in blue (pantone Reflex Blue).
A swallow-tail ribbon in red (pantone 032) can be seen emerging from below the wheel of cheese.
The logo is topped by the words ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ in a semi-circle (Futura Bold typeface in pantone Reflex Blue).
The logo may be adapted to different uses.



4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is made and matured within the province of Pesaro e Urbino, as well as in the municipalities of Novafeltria, Talamello, Sant’Agata Feltria, Casteldelci, Maiolo, San Leo and Pennabilli in the province of Rimini. This is also the area of origin of the milk used.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The geographical link stems from the specific local soil and climate conditions, as well as the practice of farming, which is mainly carried out using the local pastures. Rational use of very degraded or degradable pastures prevents over-exploitation and improves the characteristics of the pastures by ensuring a greater balance between agriculture, forestry and pasture land. A contributing factor is the extensification of crop production which, in addition to ensuring the upkeep of agricultural and forestry land, characterises its composition, giving the milk and thus the cheese its characteristic aroma and flavour. Notable human factors include the cheese’s historical presence and how it has spread throughout the defined area.
Specifically, sheep and cattle farming dates back as far as 1500, when this was favoured by the policies of the Dukes of Montefeltro and Rovere to restrict the practice of transhumance within their lands.
A great deal of evidence dating back to the Renaissance era attests to the historical presence of cheese in the defined area.
The product’s specificity comes from its size, weight and heel height, which are closely linked to the use of terracotta and pottery moulds with a closed, convex bottom and a small hole for draining the whey, typical of the Urbania area.
Another very specific feature is the composition of the milk mixture used to produce the cheese (70 % sheep’s milk and 30 % cows’ milk)
The production practices, centuries-old traditions and the climate and environmental conditions give this product its specific organoleptic and commercial characteristics. ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ has a thin rind, which typically becomes straw -coloured after maturation. When cut, it has a whitish straw-coloured paste, a soft and crumbly texture, and is characterised by a light scattering of eyes (known as ‘buchini’, which are formed as a result of the natural production of gas). As ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ is not matured, it retains the flavours typical of fresh milk, which is particularly evident in its fresh and aromatic scent. ‘Casciotta d’Urbino’ has a sweet, full and pleasantly acidic taste, typical of sheep and cows’ milk.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
The full text of the product specification can be consulted at http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335
or alternatively:
by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.