Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indications in the sector of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
Date: 2023-10-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Greater Poland province, Poland, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, processed cheese, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202300390EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/390


19.10.2023






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indications in the sector of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(C/2023/390)

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)



                     ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’
                  


EU No: PGI-PL-0551-AM01 – 25.8.2023
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product



                  ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’
               

2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Poland
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
—
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)



                  ‘
                  Wielkopolski ser smażony
                  ’
               

In point 3.2 of the single document and point 4 of the product specification, the sentence ‘Sulphate-reducing spores: absent in 1 g.’ should be deleted.
Justification: ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’ is produced in line with the general legislation in force. The sentence ‘Sulphate-reducing spores: absent in 1 g.’ obliges the producer to test the cheese for the presence of spores of sulphate-reducing anaerobic bacteria. The potential presence of these bacteria in the curds is due to their presence in the milk from which the curds are made. Bacteria enter the milk during milking. Therefore, producers of Wielkopolski ser smażony have no influence on their presence in the product. Moreover, according to scientific research, these bacteria are widespread in milk.
This amendment affects the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’
                  


EU No: PGI-PL-0551-AM01 – 25.8.2023
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Poland
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product [listed in Annex XI]

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

Consistency:
The consistency of the fried cheese is firm, homogeneous and elastic.
Colour:
The colour of the cheese mass varies from light cream to yellow, depending on the quantity of butter used in production (the fat content of the cheese mass may not be lower than 7,5 %) and how intensely it is fried.
Taste and smell:
The taste and smell are typical of fried cheese, i.e. rather sharp, distinctive, originating in ripened curds.
pH value: 5,2-5,6. Water: maximum 65 %. Fat: minimum 7,5 %.
Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus: absent in 0,1 g. Number of moulds: maximum 100 in 1 g.
For the fried cheese with caraway, caraway seeds are visible in the cheese mass. The taste and smell of fried cheese with caraway remains typical of that product (originating in ripened curds) while the taste and smell of caraway are clearly perceptible. The other features of the fried cheese with caraway are the same as for fried cheese without caraway.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

There is no particular limitation as to the origin of feed.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area







—


Storage of raw milk










—


Skimming the milk










—


Heating the milk










—


Preparation of the starter culture










—


Souring










—


Heating and turning the curds










—


Draining










—


Crumbling and placing on metal sheets










—


Ripening










—


Mixing with fat and frying




Banned practices:
The addition of substances that may replace the ripening process (e.g. emulsifying salts, i.e. salts that enable frying without ripening) and the use of fats other than milk fat (butter) for production are banned.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to


                  ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’ is packaged at the production site, since it can be packaged (moulded) only directly after frying, when it is still hot. Reheating Wielkopolski ser smażony, once cooled, in order to package it, is not allowed. Such practice is detrimental to the quality of the product.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Each individual pack must bear the producer’s label. The label must include the name ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’. The Protected Geographical Indication symbol must be clearly visible on the label.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area


               ‘Wielkopolski ser smażony’ is produced within the administrative borders of the Wielkopolskie Province.
5.   Link with the geographical area

Beginning at the end of the eighteenth century, there was a colonising movement concentrated on the area of Wielkopolska (particularly western Wielkopolska) called the ‘Olęderski’ movement (the name ‘Olędrzy’ was used for colonisers who came to Wielkopolska from Western and Southwestern Europe). Most likely, the practice of frying cheese was started by these settlers.
The local know-how and tradition shaped over centuries on the farms of Wielkopolska following the settlement by Olędrzy and settler farmers from Brandenburg led to a high level of cattle farming, agriculture and methods of obtaining milk in those areas. Today, Wielkopolska is known for the uniform quality of its milk. As milk cows yielded more milk, farmers looked for ways to preserve one of the milk products, namely fresh curd cheese. One such method was the production of fried cheese following the natural ripening process (the natural decomposition of protein which takes 2-3 days). This method of processing curd cheese (ripening and frying) did not come about by chance. Initially this was done in order to extend the period in which the cheese could be eaten.
With time, the production of fried cheese in Wielkopolska became an everyday activity and no meal in Wielkopolska was complete without it.
The natural method of producing Wielkopolski ser smażony, steeped in tradition, points to a solid link between the region where it is produced, the correct execution of each stage of production and the specific quality of the fried cheese.
Wielkopolski ser smażony owes its characteristic taste and smell to the ripened and fried curd cheese and to the caraway (in the case of fried cheese with caraway). The use of fresh raw materials, i.e. milk and the curd cheese produced from it, is extremely important for the production of Wielkopolski ser smażony. This is linked to the necessity of ensuring the proper quality of the final product and finishing the whole production cycle of the fried cheese within 6-7 days.
The ripening process is particularly important for the production of Wielkopolski ser smażony. The process consists in the natural decomposition of protein which takes 2-3 days. It is precisely the ripening process that has a determining influence on the specificity and exceptional character of Wielkopolski ser smażony, i.e. its taste and smell.
Frying the cheese using only milk fat (butter) is an equally important process, influencing the taste, smell, colour and consistency of the final product.
The link between Wielkopolski ser smażony and the region of production is based in particular on its renown, described below, and the quality characteristics which are due to the traditional method of production.
Wielkopolski ser smażony is typical of western Wielkopolska, the Nowotomyska Plain, and central Wielkopolska, as can be seen from the frequent references to it in old documents, books and other accounts written in or about these regions. One example is a work published in Poznań at the end of the nineteenth century, Gospodyni doskonała, czyli Przepisy utrzymywania porządku w domu i zaopatrzenia (The Perfect Housekeeper, or How to Take Care of and Shop for Your Household) from 1899, where we find a recipe for fried cheese. There is also confirmation of the link between fried cheese and Wielkopolska in Kucharz wielkopolski (The Wielkopolska Cook) by Maria Śleżańska from 1904. Kucharz wielkopolski was published in Poznań by Jarosław Leitgeber. ‘The fast way to make cheese’ described in this book contains relevant information on making fried cheese according to the recipe from Wielkopolska.
Fried cheese is being mentioned in books to this day. The fact that the recipe for fried cheese is regional and particular to Wielkopolska is confirmed by its inclusion in Kuchnia Wielkopolska – wczoraj i dziś, czyli porady jak smacznie i tanio gotować zachowując tradycje i zdrowie (Wielkopolska Cuisine – Yesterday and Today, or How to Cook Tasty and Inexpensive Meals while Respecting Tradition and Health), published in Poznań in 1992. A recipe for fried cheese with caraway is also included in Potrawy z serami (Cheese Dishes) by Barbara Adamczewska, published in 2005.
With time, preparing and eating fried cheese became a popular and everyday activity in Wielkopolska. Fried cheese itself has become a typical product for the inhabitants of Wielkopolska, and no breakfast or supper is complete without it.
Wielkopolski ser smażony produced according to the recipe passed down the generations has maintained its high reputation throughout Poland and abroad. Its taste has been appreciated especially by the current and former inhabitants of Wielkopolska. For them, the taste of fried cheese is a taste they remember from their childhood. The cheese is produced according to local tradition and the recipe is typical of that part of Poland. This fried cheese is exactly what consumers are looking for – the kind that their mothers and grandmothers used to make at home years ago.
Nowadays fried cheese produced throughout Wielkopolska is mainly sold in the regional capital, Poznań: further proof that this exceptional product, with its extremely characteristic taste and smell, is a typical product linked to a specific region and constitutes an integral part of its culture.
Over the years, fried cheese produced by various Wielkopolska producers has received many prizes and distinctions at the Wielkopolska Consumer Competition for Product Quality, where consumers award the prizes. This confirms the consistently high reputation of Wielkopolski ser smażony and its superior quality, which is so appreciated by consumers. The fact that prizes have been awarded to the fried cheese produced by various producers from Wielkopolska over the years testifies to the high quality of this product, which all its producers are invested in maintaining.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/produkty-zarejestrowane-jako-chronione-nazwy-pochodzenia-chronione-oznaczenia-geograficzne-oraz-gwarantowane-tradycyjne-specjalnosci


(1)  
            OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/390/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)