Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
Date: 2024-03-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Apulia, Italy, consumer information, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202401948EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/1948


5.3.2024






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(C/2024/1948)

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)



                     ‘Burrata di Andria’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-01393-AM02 - 18.12.2023
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Product name


               ‘Burrata di Andria’
            
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Italy
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), Promotion of Agri-Food Quality (PQA) 4
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

Explanation that the amendment(s) fall under the definition of a standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012: The amendment falls under the definition of a standard amendment as it does not amend the name of the protected geographical indication or the use of that name, does not risk negating the link and does not entail any further restrictions on marketing the product.
Amendment concerning Article 2, point 2.2 of the product specification and point 3.2 of the product description
Current wording:


                  ‘Shape: round, shaped like a sack closed at the top by hand into the characteristic bunched up topknot, which is of sufficient size to enable the option of using food-grade raffia to tie it closed.’
               

New version:
Shape: round, shaped like a sack sealed at the top by the characteristic bunched up closure, which may be minimal in size.
Reasons:
The amendment has been introduced to also allow producers to produce the bunched up closure without the use of food-grade raffia, which is currently made of plastic.
This makes it possible to meet the demands of both producers and consumers who are increasingly aware of products’ environmental impact.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Burrata di Andria’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-01393-AM02 - 18.12.2023
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Burrata di Andria’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product [as in Annex XI]

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


                  ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI is a cow's milk cheese made by adding cream to stretched-curd cheese. The outer layer is made entirely of stretched curd (pasta filata) enclosing a filling of cream mixed with pasta filata that has been shredded by hand.
Shape and physicochemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics
Weight: ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI varies in weight between 100 g and 1 kg.
Appearance: ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI is milk-white in colour, with a casing that is approximately ≥ 2 mm thick.
Filling texture: a shredded, spongy, cream-soaked mass.
Shape: round, shaped like a sack sealed at the top by the characteristic bunched up closure, which may be minimal in size.
Stracciatella (a mixture of cream and pasta filata): the filling is made from pasta filata that is shredded solely by hand then drenched in cream.
Moisture content: between 50 % and 70 %






—


when cut, cream spills out;










—


the shredded pasta filata filling is of various lengths and widths;










—


the cheese has a pleasant aroma of fresh or heated milk, butter and cream;










—


lactose content in the lactose-free line < 0,1 g / per 100 g.




3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

There are no foodstuffs whose use is subject to qualitative conditions
Cow’s milk, either raw or pasteurised at 72 °C for 15 seconds or using any other time-temperature combination that provides an equivalent sanitising effect (editor’s note: negative alkaline phosphatase test).
The cream used to make ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI is produced by centrifuging the milk or the fresh milk whey. It then undergoes pasteurisation under the following conditions:
temperature/time ≥ 75 °/40 seconds if the percentage of fat is between 10 % and 20 %,
or alternatively:
temperature/time ≥ 80 °/20 seconds if the percentage of fat is ≥20 %,
The cream may also be pasteurised using any other time/temperature combinations providing they are equally effective.
Fresh pasteurised cream, packaged UHT cream, or a mixture of the two may be used to make ‘Burrata di Andria’ in accordance with the microbiological criteria laid down by the relevant legislation.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All operations from the processing of the raw materials up to the production of the finished product must take place in the defined geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers


                  ‘Burrata di Andria’ may be packaged:






—


in bags made from plasticised food-grade material or any other material permitted by law, wrapped or not in plasticised paper or other materials permitted by law, and tied at the top;










—


wrapped in green plasticised paper or any other green-coloured material permitted by law;










—


in trays, jars or glass and/or immersed in preservative liquid.




The product must be kept at a temperature of 4 °C ±2 °C.
The individual cheeses range in weight from 100 g to 1 kg.

                  ‘Burrata di Andria’ has to be packaged on the premises where it is made within the geographical area defined under point 4, as it is a fresh product that tends to deteriorate rapidly.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

The Protected Geographical Indication ‘Burrata di Andria’ must appear on the label in clear and indelible lettering, clearly distinguishable from any other text on the label; this must be followed immediately by the words ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ and/or the abbreviation ‘PGI’.
It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for. However, the use of names, trade names and private brands is permitted, provided that they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the consumer.
The logo of the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Burrata di Andria’ consists of the following graphics and words:





The ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI logo must be reproduced on the labels, with the further specification that its dimensions – calculated by comparing the area of the rectangle corresponding to the overall height and width of the trademark – may not be less than 10 % or more than 25 % of the total area of the graphic sleeve.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area within which ‘Burrata di Andria’ PGI is produced and packaged is the entire territory of the Region of Apulia.
5.   Link with the geographical area


               ‘Burrata di Andria’ is a cheese typical of Apulia that differs from other cheeses on account of its particular production technique and its organoleptic characteristics, making it one of the most highly prized and unusual cheeses from Apulia and southern Italy.
According to oral tradition, ‘Burrata di Andria’ was invented by Mr Lorenzo Bianchino on an old estate in the first decades of the twentieth century. It is said that due to heavy snowfall, preventing him from delivering the milk to town, and meaning that he had to process it in some way and most importantly use the cream that naturally formed on the surface, Mr Bianchino tried using the same procedure as is used to make mantèche (casings made of aged pasta filata used to store butter), to make a fresh product. To this should be added the natural instinct of all peasant culture - avoiding waste and putting any surplus production to good use. Mr Bianchino therefore sought to mix the bits left over from pasta filata production with the cream and wrap this concoction in a casing also made of pasta filata.

               ‘Burrata di Andria’ looks like a miniature sack of pasta filata that is shaped by hand and that contains ‘shredded’
               pasta filata and cream. The mixture of cream and pasta filata shreds are known as stracciatella. The term stracciatella, coming from the verb ‘to rip’, derives from the way in which the contents are prepared. The pasta filata is ripped by hand into ragged strips.
One of the first references to this product dates back to 1931 in the Guida del Touring Club [The Touring Club Guide], and ‘Burrata di Andria’ became very popular from the outset, not just in Italy but also abroad, to such an extent that the Shah of Iran himself became one of its most faithful aficionados. The simple and buttery taste of this typical Apulian product, means that it is appreciated by everyone who, wishing to explore Mediterranean cuisine, seeks simple, genuine products that are not overly processed.

               ‘Burrata di Andria’ figures on the menus of many restaurants all over the world, which highlight the product’s value by specifying that it comes from Andria in Italy. In addition to having faithfully preserved the link between production tradition and territory, ‘Burrata di Andria’ has succeeded in building up a remarkable market prominence given its limited shelf life, which restricts its marketing potential. As burrata is a product that has to be consumed fresh, it seems to have been overlooked by the major commercial operators and relegated to a niche market. Nevertheless, there is still strong demand for this product due to the fact that it enjoys an excellent reputation among consumers.
Numerous articles have been written about this cheese in both the national and foreign press. In a report dated 26 August 1977, Il Corriere della Sera referred to ‘Burrata di Andria’ as an example of cheese-making excellence in Apulia and indeed all of southern Italy.
An article in La Repubblica dated 16 December 1999 specifically mentioned ‘Burrata di Andria’ as a product worth saving.
It was also described as an amazing and unique cheese in an article by Allan Bay on www.vivimilano.it/atavola.
In an article published on 30 July 1999, the Il Sole 24 Ore referred to burrata as one of Apulia’s outstanding culinary specialities.
An article in La Stampa, written by Vanna Pescatori, entitled ‘La Mondanità’ [‘Society Life’], this exquisite cheese is mentioned on the menu of the Gala dinner organised by Ferrari, the luxury car manufacturer based in Maranello.
In an article in the Il Sole 24 Ore Sunday supplement Tempo Liberato, entitled ‘Giacimenti gustosi da salvaguardare’ [‘Delicious culinary heritage that should be saved’], Davide Paolini likened ‘Burrata di Andria’ to other Italian culinary specialities such as Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Coppa Piacentina, Caciocavallo Silano, etc. that should be protected and preserved.
On 18 August 1990, Nicola Dante Basile, in an article entitled ‘Formaggi, il pecorino guida l’export’ [‘Cheese: pecorino is the leading export’] in the agricultural supplement of Il Sole 24 Ore, described ‘Burrata di Andria’ as ‘demanding’ - no doubt in reference to the care bordering on veneration with which such a cheese should be treated.
In 2000, following the establishment of the register of traditional products by the Ministry of Agriculture (with Ministerial Decree No 350/1999), ‘Burrata di Andria’ was immediately registered on the Apulia region’s very first list.
It was described by Alberto Pejrano as ‘a dairy jewel’ in the Slow Food Weekend feature ‘I profumi della Puglia di Federico II’ [‘The flavours of Frederick II's Apulia’] on 9 October 2000. On the website www.stayinitaly.com in the section on the Apulia Region, ‘Burrata di Andria’ is mentioned as one of the region’s typical cheeses. Other writers on the website www.agipzone.com describe ‘Burrata di Andria’ as the height of refinement.
Despite its short shelf life, ‘Burrata di Andria’ is greatly appreciated abroad, even in countries as far away as the USA, where the product is shipped weekly by some member producers. An example of its popularity is that it figures on the menu of Il Fornaio, a well-known chain of restaurants that often organises themed campaigns during which it promotes certain specialities and delicacies.

Reference to publication of the product specification:

https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/files/1/5/4/D.15914ffcb289f1ed2409/Burrata_di_Andria_09.23.pdf


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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1948/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)