Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indications in the sector of the agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 2023/C 53/05
Date: 2023-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Lithuania, Telšiai county, consumer information, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, hard cheese, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2023053EN.01001101.xml










13.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 53/11






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indications in the sector of the agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(2023/C 53/05)
This communication is published in accordance with Article 6b(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

Communicating the approval of a standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication originating in a Member State (Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)


‘Džiugas’


EU No PGI-LT-02372-AM01- 8.11.2022


PGI (x) PDO ( )

1.   Name of product

‘Džiugas’
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Lithuania
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)


Amendment 1:

Point 4 of the current specification and point 3.2 of the single document read as follows:






‘4.


Description of the product




“Džiugas” cheese is a medium-fat hard cheese made from cow’s milk which has been standardised and pasteurised and curdled with enzymes, with the curd and cheese mass subsequently subjected to special processing and maturation. The cheese is made solely from cow’s milk obtained during the grazing period, which gives long-maturing cheeses the best organoleptic and microbiological indicators.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘4.


Description of the product




“Džiugas” cheese is made from cow’s milk which has been standardised and pasteurised and curdled with enzymes, with the curd and cheese mass subsequently subjected to special processing and maturation. The cheese is made solely from cow’s milk obtained during the grazing period, which gives long-maturing cheeses the best organoleptic and microbiological indicators.’
Justification
The description of the cheese under this point has been amended and the cheese is no longer classified in terms of fat content and hardness, i.e. the terms ‘medium fat’ and ‘hard’ have been removed. According to Order No 3D-335 of the Lithuanian Minister for Agriculture of 13 June 2008 approving the schedule of quality requirements for cheeses, these classifiers are not obligatory and may be provided additionally.

Amendment 2:

Table 1 (Organoleptic indicators of ‘Džiugas’ cheese) under point 4 of the current specification and under point 3.2 of the single document reads as follows:

‘Table 1. Organoleptic indicators of “Džiugas” cheese






Indicator


Characterisation




Colour


Cheese matured for at least 12 months: creamy/yellowish, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 18 months: yellowish to creamy, slightly more intense and with a greenish tinge near the rind Cheese matured for at least 24 months: yellowish to creamy, with a slightly more intense matt greenish colour near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 36 months: yellow, possibly with a reddish-yellow or brown marble tinge, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 48 months: yellow, possibly with an orange tinge, slightly more intense near the rind




Colour


Cheese matured for at least 60 months: yellow grading to dark yellow, with a reddish-yellow tinge, darker along the edges near the rind, and with a noticeably more intense gradation of colour. A cross-section of the cheese mass reveals flesh which is yellow with an orange tinge and contains visible white calcium salt crystals.




Appearance


Dimensions of the flat cylindrical cheese wheel: height 9,0-10,0 cm, diameter 22,0-24,0 cm, weight 4,2-4,5 kg.




Cross-section


The cheese is eyeless, although it may occasionally contain irregular eyelets and slight cracks. Small, white, isolated calcium salt and amino acid tyrosine crystals can also be seen.




Taste and smell


The cheese has a rich, sweet yet sharp taste, heat imparting subtle fruity after-tastes. Subtly fresh, with an aroma of lactic acid and dried cheese.




Texture


The cheese mass is hard but breaks easily. The longer the cheese has matured, the harder it is and the more crunchy crystals it contains.’





This text has been amended to read as follows:

‘Table 1. Organoleptic indicators of “Džiugas” cheese






Indicator


Characterisation




Colour


Cheese matured for at least 12 months: creamy/yellowish, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 18 months: yellowish to creamy, slightly more intense and with a greenish tinge near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 24 months: yellowish to creamy, with a slightly more intense matt greenish colour near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 36 months: yellow, possibly with a reddish-yellow or brown marble tinge, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 48 months: yellow, possibly with an orange tinge, slightly more intense near the rind Cheese matured for at least 60 months: yellow grading to dark yellow, with a reddish-yellow tinge, darker along the edges near the rind, and with a noticeably more intense gradation of colour. A cross-section of the cheese mass reveals flesh which is yellow with an orange tinge and contains visible white calcium salt crystals.
Cheese matured for at least 100 months: intensely dark yellow, with an orange tinge near the rind, a noticeably more pronounced gradation of colour and much richer colours.
Cheese matured for at least 120 months: deep yellow, with a very pronounced gradation of colour near the rind and more intense reddish-yellow or orange tinges.




Appearance


Dimensions of the flat cylindrical cheese wheel: height 9,0-10,0 cm, diameter 22,0-24,0 cm, weight 4,2-4,5 kg.




Cross-section


The cheese is eyeless, although it may occasionally contain irregular eyelets and slight cracks. Small, white, isolated calcium salt and amino acid tyrosine crystals can also be seen.




Taste and smell


The cheese has a rich, sweet yet sharp taste, and the lactic acid typical of the cheese is free of any foreign smell or taste.




Texture


The cheese mass is hard but breaks easily. The longer the cheese has matured, the harder it is and the more crunchy crystals it contains.’





Justification
Descriptions of the colours of ‘Džiugas’ cheese matured for at least 100 and 120 months have been added to the specification.
The description of the taste and smell of the cheese has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to provide a common characterisation of the taste and smell typical of the cheese, covering all levels of maturity.

Amendment 3:

Table 2 (Physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Džiugas’ cheese) under point 4 of the current specification and under point 3.2 of the single document reads as follows:

‘Table 2. Physical and chemical characteristics of “Džiugas” cheese






Indicator name


Standard value




Fat content of the cheese’s dry matter (%)


39 -40 




Moisture content (%)


34 -35 




Common salt content (%)


1,8 -2,2 ’.





This text has been amended to read as follows:

‘Table 2. Physical and chemical characteristics of “Džiugas” cheese






Indicator name


Standard value




Fat content of the cheese’s dry matter (%)


40  ± 3 




Moisture content (%)


34  ± 3 




Common salt content (%)


2,0 -0,4 ’.





Justification
The limits of the physico-chemical parameters of ‘Džiugas’ cheese have been amended. These amendments concern, in part, the addition of cheeses with very long maturation times, i.e. cheeses matured for at least 100 or 120 months. Cheeses of this maturity must have a lower moisture content because the maturation period envisaged for them is longer than for the other cheeses referred to. Furthermore, to ensure that the characteristics of the very long maturation cheeses remain unchanged throughout the maturation period, the salting time must be longer. The maximum salt content referred to in the table of physical and chemical characteristics has therefore been changed. The maximum moisture content of the cheese has been changed to adapt to the needs of different national markets.
The minimum salt content has been reduced in line with recommendations to reduce salt consumption and to allow the product to be distributed to a broader range of consumers.

Amendment 4:

Point 7 (method of production, raw materials) of the current specification and point 3.3 (raw materials) of the single document read as follows:
‘Raw materials:






—


cow’s milk obtained only during the grazing period (May to October); cows still grazing at that time are not to be fed any supplementary feed;










—


starter cultures of rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) and thermophilic cocci bacteria (Streptococcus);










—


a milk-coagulating protease-class enzyme of microbiological origin, obtained by cultivating the microfungus Rhizomucor miehei; – common salt.’




This text has been amended to read as follows:
‘Raw materials:






—


cow’s milk obtained only during the grazing period (May to October); cows still grazing at that time are not to be fed any supplementary feed;










—


starter cultures of rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) and thermophilic cocci bacteria (Streptococcus);










—


enzyme, common salt.’




Justification
The description of the milk-coagulating microbial enzyme has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to provide a shorter generic description of the enzyme without specifying the type of enzyme and the way in which it is obtained.

Amendment 5:

Point 7 of the current specification (method of production, production, 1. Production and coagulation of the milk mixture)) reads as follows:






‘1.


Preparation and coagulation of the milk mixture:




The raw milk collected is separated, clarified and standardised in such a way that the fat content in dry matter of the mature cheese meets the requirements laid down in point 4. The milk mixture is pasteurised at a temperature of 74 ± 2 °C, for 20 seconds. Following pasteurisation, the milk mixture may be stored at a temperature not exceeding 10 °C for no more than 18 hours.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘1


Preparation and coagulation of the milk mixture:




The raw milk collected is separated, clarified and standardised in such a way that the fat content in dry matter of the mature cheese meets the requirements laid down in point 4. The milk mixture is pasteurised at a temperature of at least 72,5 °C for 20 s. Following pasteurisation, the milk mixture may be stored at a temperature not exceeding 10 °C for no more than 18 hours.’
Justification
The temperature limit for pasteurisation of the milk has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to set a stricter limit on the minimum temperature for pasteurisation of the milk. This temperature determines qualitative and food safety parameters.

Amendment 6:

Point 7 (method of production, production, 2. Curdling of the milk) of the current specification reads as follows:






‘2.


Curdling of the milk:




the milk mixture for the production of “Džiugas” cheese is heated to a temperature of 32–34 °C. During milk mixture inoculation, a liquid lactic acid bacterial starter (prepared in accordance with the procedure described below) equal to between 1,5 and 2,0 % of the mixture is added to the cheese maker and a frozen starter of thermophilic Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria also added. Once the cheese maker has been filled with the milk mixture, a milk-curdling protease-class enzyme of microbiological origin is added. Once the enzyme has been added, the milk mixture is mixed thoroughly and left to curdle.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘2.


Curdling of the milk:




the milk mixture for the production of “Džiugas” cheese is heated to a temperature of 32–34 °C. During milk mixture inoculation, a liquid lactic acid bacterial starter (prepared in accordance with the procedure described below) comprising up to 2,0 % of the mixture is added to the cheese maker and a frozen starter of thermophilic Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria also added. Once the cheese maker has been filled with the milk mixture, a milk-curdling protease-class enzyme of microbiological origin is added. Once the enzyme has been added, the milk mixture is mixed thoroughly and left to curdle.’
Justification
The amount of liquid lactic acid bacterial starter used in the curdling of the milk has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to emphasise that the amount of starter used depends on the activity of the pre-prepared starter, the composition and characteristics of the milk, and the production time. The amount of starter must not exceed 2 %.

Amendment 7:

Point 7 (method of production, production, 3. Production of the liquid starter of lactic acid bacteria) reads as follows:






‘3.


Production of the liquid lactic acid bacteria starter:




To produce the starter, residual whey is used. This is selected on the basis of quality and composition: dry matter content: 6,3–6,5 %; lactose content: 4,60–4,65 %; fat content: 0,18–0,25 %; protein content: 0,75–0,85 %. First of all, the whey fermentation starter is prepared: the whey is pasteurised, cooled to the curdling temperature and curdled using a dry frozen starter. The productive starter is then prepared as follows: the whey is pasteurised, cooled to the curdling temperature and 2 % of fermentation starter added.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘3.


Production of the liquid lactic acid bacteria starter:




To produce the starter, residual whey is used. This is selected on the basis of quality and composition: dry matter content: at least 6,3 %. First of all, the whey fermentation starter is prepared: the whey is pasteurised, cooled to the curdling temperature and curdled using a dry frozen starter. The productive starter is then prepared as follows: the whey is pasteurised, cooled to the curdling temperature and up to 2 % of fermentation starter added.’
Justification
The description of the production of the liquid starter of lactic acid bacteria has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to emphasise that a minimum dry matter content of 6,3 % is important for production of the starter. Cheesemakers’ long experience has shown that dry matter content plays a key role in determining the indicators of the productive starter.
The amount of liquid lactic acid bacterial starter used in the curdling of the milk has been amended. The purpose of this amendment is to emphasise that the amount of starter used depends on the activity of the pre-prepared starter, the composition and characteristics of the milk, and the production time. The amount of starter must not exceed 2 %.

Amendment 8:

Point 7 (method of production, production, 4. Processing of the curd and cheese grains) of the current specification reads as follows:






‘4.


Processing of the curd and cheese grains:




The milk mixture curdling time is 25 to 35 minutes. If the curd is quite stiff and does not disintegrate into small flakes in a break with sharp edges and still has distinctly clear whey, it is ready to be cut. The curd is cut, with a grain size of between 0,7 and 1,0 cm. The cutting time is 10 minutes. The cheese grains are heated for a second time by raising the temperature from 33 °C to 50 °C for 50 minutes. The total time taken for the second heating does not exceed 1 hour.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘4.


Processing of the curd and cheese grains:




The milk mixture curdling time is 15 to 35 minutes. If the curd is quite stiff and does not disintegrate into small flakes in a break with sharp edges and still has distinctly clear whey, it is ready to be cut. The curd is cut, with a grain size of between 0,7 and 1,0 cm. Cutting takes up to 15 minutes. The cheese grains are heated for a second time by raising the temperature from 33 °C to 50 °C for 45-55 minutes. The total time taken for the second heating does not exceed 1 hour.’
Justification
The processing of the curd and cheese grains has been modified, i.e. the times taken for curdling and cutting have been adjusted. These amendments concern the size of the grains of curd cut and the firmness of the curd, both of which depend on the production time and the composition and characteristics of the milk.
This amendment adjusts the duration of the second time the cheese grains are heated, which depends on the temperature to which they are heated. The cheese grains must not be heated for a second time to a temperature exceeding 50 °C.

Amendment 9:

Point 7 (method of production, production, 6. Salting of the cheese) of the current specification reads as follows:






‘6.


Salting of the cheese:




The cheeses are salted in salting basins for up to 6 days. The brining temperature in the basins is between 8 °C and 12 °C, and the pH is between 4,5 and 5,2. The salt concentration in the brine is between 18 and 22 %.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘6.


Salting of the cheese:




The cheeses are salted in salting basins for up to 8 days. The brining temperature in the basins is between 8 °C and 12 °C, and the pH is between 4,5 and 5,4.
The salt concentration in the brine is between 18 and 22 %.’
Justification
The process of salting the cheese has been set out in greater detail, i.e. the duration of the salting and the pH limit values for the brine have been amended. The change in the duration of the salting time is linked to the addition to the specification of cheeses matured for at least 100 months and cheeses matured for at least 120 months. Because of their longer maturation period and lower moisture content, these mature cheeses must be salted in the salting basins for a longer period of time to ensure that the final product meets the requirements laid down in point 4.
The pH of the brine has been amended, as the pH of the brine may be as high as 5,4 at the time when the cheeses are placed in it.

Amendment 10:

Point 7 (method of production, production, 7. Maturation and storage of the cheese) of the current specification reads as follows:






‘7.


Maturation and storage of the cheese:




The cheese is matured at a temperature of 10-12 °C with a relative humidity of 80-85 % for a period not exceeding 30 days, until the cheese reaches a humidity of 34-35 %. Afterwards, the cheese wheels are vacuum-sealed in plastic bags. The cheese is matured for 12 to 60 months at a temperature of 8 °C and a relative humidity of 70-85 %. While they mature, the cheeses are stored in rooms where the temperature is between 2 and 6 °C.’
This text has been amended to read as follows:






‘7.


Maturation and storage of the cheese:




The cheese is matured at a temperature of 10-12 °C with a relative humidity of 80÷85 % for a period not exceeding 30 days, until the requirements laid down in point 4 are met. Afterwards, the cheese wheels are vacuum-sealed in plastic bags. The cheese is matured for 12 to 120 months at a temperature of not exceeding 10 °C. While they mature, the cheeses are stored in rooms where the temperature is between 2 and 6 °C.’
Justification
The process of cheese maturation and storage has been set out in greater detail, i.e. reference is made to the table of physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Džiugas’ cheese, and, in addition, the maximum maturation period has been included, the temperature at which the wrapped cheeses are matured has been changed and the relative humidity is no longer indicated.
The temperature has been changed to ensure a more uniform maturation process for the cheese. Relative humidity is no longer indicated because the cheeses mature in their packaging. This parameter therefore has no impact on the final product.

Amendment 11:

Point 8 of the current specification (link with the geographical area; causal link between the geographical area and the product’s quality, its reputation or another characteristic) and point 5 of the single document (link with the geographical area) read as follows:

‘Causal link between the geographical area and the product’s quality, its reputation or another characteristic
The productive starter is obtained from a prepared fermentation starter (the whey is fermented using a dry frozen starter) which can be grown as many as five times. In addition, the whey starter (whey) is pasteurised manually rather than automatically, by regulating heating or cooling valves.
To ensure that the lateral surfaces of the cheese are smooth and evenly dry, as the moisture content of the whole cheese wheel decreases, “Džiugas” cheese is rotated manually roughly 60 ° every three days.’

This text has been amended to read as follows:

‘Causal link between the geographical area and the product’s quality, its reputation or another characteristic
The productive starter is obtained from a prepared fermentation starter (the whey is fermented using a dry frozen starter) which can be grown as many as ten times. The whey starter (whey) is pasteurised automatically.
To ensure that the lateral surfaces of the cheese are smooth and evenly dry, as the moisture content of the whole cheese wheel decreases, “Džiugas” cheese is rotated manually roughly 60 ° at least twice a week.’

Justification
The number of cultivations of the liquid starter of lactic acid bacteria has been changed. It is also stated that the whey starter (whey) is pasteurised automatically.
The number of cultivations has been increased to ensure a stable ratio of starter cultures, owing to improvements in the equipment allowing pasteurisation to be performed automatically.
The frequency of rotation of the cheese while it matures has been modified to ensure the cheese’s lateral surfaces are smoother and more evenly dry and the frequency of rotation is more uniform.
The changes are considered minor because they do not relate to the essential characteristics of the product, do not alter the link with the geographical area or the geographical area itself, do not include a change to the name of the product or any part of the name, do not affect the defined geographical area and do not represent an increase in restrictions on trade in the product or its raw materials under the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs and section 5 of the application in Annex VII to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 of 13 June 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Džiugas’


EU No PGI-LT-02372-AM01 – 8.11.2022


PGI (x) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Džiugas’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Lithuania
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

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

‘Džiugas’ cheese is made from cow’s milk which has been standardised and pasteurised and curdled with enzymes, with the curd and cheese mass subsequently subjected to special processing and maturation. The cheese is made solely from cow’s milk obtained during the grazing period, which gives long-maturing cheeses the best organoleptic and microbiological indicators.

Table 1


Organoleptic indicators of ‘Džiugas’ cheese







Indicator


Characterisation




Colour


Cheese matured for at least 12 months: creamy/yellowish, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 18 months: yellowish to creamy, slightly more intense and with a greenish tinge near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 24 months: yellowish to creamy, with a slightly more intense matt greenish colour near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 36 months: yellow, possibly with a reddish-yellow or brown marble tinge, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 48 months: yellow, possibly with an orange tinge, slightly more intense near the rind
Cheese matured for at least 60 months: yellow grading to dark yellow, with a reddish-yellow tinge, darker along the edges near the rind, and with a noticeably more intense gradation of colour. A cross-section of the cheese mass reveals flesh which is yellow with an orange tinge and contains visible white calcium salt crystals.
Cheese matured for at least 100 months: intensely dark yellow, with an orange tinge near the rind, a noticeably more pronounced gradation of colour and much richer colours.
Cheese matured for at least 120 months: deep yellow, with a very pronounced gradation of colour near the rind and more intense reddish-yellow or orange tinges.




Appearance


Dimensions of the flat cylindrical cheese wheel: height 9,0-10,0 cm, diameter 22,0-24,0 cm, weight 4,2-4,5 kg.




Cross-section


The cheese is eyeless, although it may occasionally contain irregular eyelets and slight cracks. Small, white, isolated calcium salt and amino acid tyrosine crystals can also be seen.




Taste and smell


The cheese has a rich, sweet yet sharp taste, and the lactic acid typical of the cheese is free of any foreign smell or taste.




Texture


The cheese mass is hard but breaks easily. The longer the cheese has matured, the harder it is and the more crunchy crystals it contains.








Table 2


Physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Džiugas’ cheese







Indicator name


Standard value




Fat content of the cheese’s dry matter (%)


40  ± 3 




Moisture content (%)


34  ± 3 




Common salt content (%)


2,0  ± 0,4 




3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only) and feed (for products of animal origin only)







—


cow’s milk obtained only during the grazing period (May to October); cows still grazing at that time are not to be fed any supplementary feed;










—


starter cultures of rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) and thermophilic cocci bacteria (Streptococcus);










—


an enzyme of microbiological origin; - common salt.




3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

Preparation of the milk mixture, production of the whey starter, enzymatic coagulation of the milk mixture, processing of the curd and cheese grains and moulding, pressing, salting and maturation of the cheese all take place in the defined geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

—
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

—
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises Telšiai City civil parish, located in Telšiai District in the Samogitian Uplands of north-western Lithuania, and borders on the Ryškėnai, Degaičiai, Gadūnavas and Viešvėnai civil parishes of Telšiai District (Lithuania).
5.   Link with the geographical area

The link of ‘Džiugas’ cheese with the geographical area is based on the product’s good reputation, which is determined by the experience of local master cheese-makers in making and maturing this hard cheese.
‘Džiugas’ cheese is made in Telšiai City civil parish, where a hill fort known as Džiugo kalnas is located. According to ancient legend, the mound is named in honour of Džiugas, a Samogitian warlord. It was believed that the secret of Džiugas’ strength was a cheese kept in the cellar of his farmhouse, giving him extraordinary powers when consumed.
Historically cottage cheeses were produced in Lithuania using only lactic acid bacteria to curdle the milk. In Žemaitija (Samogitia), north-western Lithuania, however, farmer’s wives also knew how to make fermented cheeses using dried calf stomach. The ‘Alka’ Samogitian museum located in Telšiai has wooden cheese moulds on display used by farmers’ wives to produce fermented cheeses. 18th century chronicles mention that the Samogitians knew how to make cheese with a distinctive taste, aroma, consistency and appearance. The book Didžioji Virėja, published by the Sakala publishing house in Klaipėda in 1936, contains a recipe for a home-made hard cheese which is matured for one or two years.
When the diocese of Telšiai was established in 1926, the town of Telšiai became the capital of the ethnographical and historical region of Žemaitija, and is now the region’s spiritual, cultural, educational and scientific hub. It is therefore precisely to this town that the region’s best master craftspeople in all fields have long flocked.
Cheeses and other dairy products have long been dietary staples of the region’s population. There has been a cheese industry in the region since the beginning of the 20th century. For Samogitians, the road to hard cheese production has been a long one. The first dairy began operating in Telšiai in 1924, but it was only in 1985 that experimental production of the hard cheese that would form the basis for ‘Džiugas’ began in a newly built production plant. The quantity of the cheese produced began to increase as of 1994, with the advent of new technical instructions and specifications. The scale of cheese production has varied considerably over the years. Production has increased markedly since 2006, and the trend persists to this day. Around 10 000 tonnes of hard cheese are produced every year. The increase in the volume of production stems from the export of ‘Džiugas’ cheese to Denmark, Finland, Italy and other countries. It is the best-known and most widely purchased hard cheese in Lithuania.
It is the unique skills of local master craftspeople that helped create a product that is characteristic of this area. One 4 kg cheese wheel requires around 60 litres of cow’s milk obtained during the grazing period. It is this milk which gives the long-maturing cheeses the best organoleptic and microbiological indicators. As part of the cheese-making process, it is very important to ensure an optimal ratio of Lactobacillus to Streptococcus bacteria in the whey-grown productive starter. The productive starter is obtained from a prepared fermentation starter (the whey is fermented using a dry frozen starter) which can be grown as many as ten times. Each subsequent productive starter is fermented by the previously prepared one. Each productive starter prepared from the whey must have the requisite ratio of Lactobacillus to Streptococcus bacteria. While the productive starters are growing, the ratio between the bacterial cultures may diverge slightly from what is required. Therefore experienced cheese-makers, in seeking to maintain a constant ratio of one bacterial culture to another, regulate the pasteurisation of the productive starter (whey) and the time the process takes. The starter whey is pasteurised automatically. A very important stage in the production of ‘Džiugas’ cheese is maturation, which is also very dependent on the cheese-makers’ savoir-faire. During maturation, ‘Džiugas’ cheese is positioned vertically in special containers on round, continuously rotating rods. To ensure that the lateral surfaces of the cheese are smooth and evenly dry, as the moisture content of the whole cheese wheel decreases, ‘Džiugas’ cheese is rotated manually roughly 60 ° at least twice a week. Therefore, by the end of the maturation phase, the cheese has been rotated 360 °, thus ensuring that the qualitative indicators of ‘Džiugas’ cheese remain constant. Thanks to the savoir-faire of local cheese-makers, ‘Džiugas’ cheese is distinguished by its special characteristics, which have also determined its good reputation.
The good reputation of ‘Džiugas’ cheese is based on: (1) a plethora of awards won in Lithuania and around the world; (2) its having become a symbolic Lithuanian food product, as it is often offered as a gift to foreign guests; (3) the cheese's fame is the result not just of its taste but also the active development of educational activities and the promotion of a culture of cheese consumption.
Between 1998 and 2017, the cheese won a total of 51 awards, several of which are worth mentioning. The cheese was recognised and awarded the title of product of the year in Lithuania for the first time in 1998, winning a gold medal at the ‘AgroBalt’99’ international exhibition the following year.
An annual contest has been organised since 2009 to identify the most popular product. In this contest, nominees in various categories are distinguished according to consumer choice and sales in the majority of retail chains in the country, and on the basis of quality criteria. ‘Džiugas’ cheese has already been awarded the top prize and recognised as most popular product of the year for the sixth consecutive year.
The cheese won its first gold medal at an international exhibition at ‘Prodexpo’ in Russia in 2005, a feat it repeated at the same exhibition in 2008, 2010 and 2014. It was awarded a certificate for being the most popular product at the specialised international exhibition ‘Peterfood-2010’ in St Petersburg. In the Superior Taste Award food- and beverage-tasting competition organised by the International Taste and Quality Institute (iTQi) in Brussels in 2011, the cheese was awarded two stars, following this up with the same result in 2013, but in 2014 a 36-month-matured ‘Džiugas’ cheese was for the first time given the highest possible rating: three out of a possible three gold stars. In 2015 and 2016 the cheese again collected three gold stars, leading to its obtaining a CRYSTAL TASTE AWARD, conferred only on products which have earned three out of a possible three gold stars for three years in a row.
‘Džiugas’ was awarded a gold medal at the ‘Goldener Preis - 2011’ in Germany, at the International Cheese Awards in the UK in 2012, and at World Food 2012 that same year in Moscow.
The cheese was awarded the SIAL Innovation Grand Prix diploma at the SIAL CHINA international food product exhibition in 2013. The 24-month-matured ‘Džiugas’ hard cheese was recognised as the best product at the 18th international ‘EuroGastro’ fair in Poland in 2014.
The International Certification Association ICERTIAS, based in Switzerland, accorded ‘Džiugas’ the ‘Best Buy Award’ for 2015 and the 36-month-matured cheese was awarded a diploma at the ‘Premio Roma 2017’.
Because of its unique taste, ‘Džiugas’ cheese has become one of Lithuania’s symbolic food products, often taken as a toothsome gift to friends and business partners in foreign countries or to relatives who have moved abroad. The cheese is given as a gift by the President of Lithuania to leaders of foreign countries. In 2013, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her victory in the Bundestag elections, presenting her with a Lithuanian ‘Džiugas’ cheese. An article in Stilius magazine on 15 October 2013 gave a positive assessment of the reception of Žemaitija’s ‘Džiugas’ cheese in Germany, whilst an article published in the newspaper Lietuvos rytas on 3 May 2014 mentioned that the global reputation of ‘Džiugas’ cheese obliges its producers to maintain consistent product quality. ‘Džiugas’ cheese is described as the king of hard cheeses, and is a particular favourite among consumers. In its edition of 1 September 2016, the newspaper Draugas celebrated the fact that the Lithuanian cheese ‘Džiugas’ can now be found on tables in the USA. An article in the newspaper Lietuvos rytas of 28 January 2017 described how guests are treated to the cheese at Lithuanian embassies abroad. ‘Džiugas’ cheese promotes Lithuania throughout the world. An article discusses the award the cheese received in Brussels and mentions that ‘Džiugas’ is the first Lithuanian cheese to have found appreciation in Asia. An article in Lietuvos rytas on 18 March 2017 states that ‘Džiugas’ is the most highly rated cheese in Lithuania because of its exceptional and unique taste characteristics.
A description of ‘Džiugas’ can also be found in Good cheese 2013-2014, a magazine devoted to cheeses, and in a book published in 2015 on cheeses from around the world (Dorling Kindersley Ltd, World Cheese Book, 2015, 352 p.).
At the beginning of the grazing season in May, when production of ‘Džiugas’ cheese also begins, a ‘Džiugas Day’ festival is held in Telšiai, where a special committee assesses the organoleptic properties of cheese made a year ago and matured for 12 months. Cheeses which have been matured for longer may also be sampled and their colour, taste, texture and other properties compared.
In 2013, ‘Džiugas’ Houses [‘Džiugas’ namai] were established in Telšiai, Vilnius and Klaipėda, where cheese tasting sessions and educational programmes are organised. These tastings have already been attended by around 13 000 people. In 2016, a ‘Džiugas’ House also became home to a ‘Džiugas’ museum. The exhibition, set up on the ground floor, introduces visitors to the dairy industry as it was at various times in history, to dairy-product-making traditions in Žemaitija, and to the production history of the ‘Džiugas’ hard cheese. The ‘Džiugas’ House has already been operating in Žemaitija’s capital for several years, and is one of the most popular attractions in Telšiai District. Information on the ‘Džiugas’ House as a place to visit can be found at the Samogitia Tourism Information Centre [VĮ Žemaitijos turizmo informacijos centras].

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
http://zum.lrv.lt/suris-dziugas-paraiska-su-produkto-specifikacija


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.