Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication 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: 2024-06-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Basilicata, Italy, consumer information, designation of origin, goats’ milk cheese, hard cheese, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, sheep's milk cheese








C_202403834EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3834


18.6.2024






Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication 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/2024/3834)

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)



                     ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-0487-AM01 – 15.4.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product


               ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’
            
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 of why 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.
1.   Geographical Area, Article 3 of the product specification and point 4 of the single document
Previous version:


                     ‘The area of origin of the milk and of production of “Canestrato di Moliterno” consists of the following municipalities in the provinces of Potenza and Matera:
in the province of Potenza: Armento, Brienza, Calvello, Calvera, Carbone, Castelluccio Inferiore, Castelluccio Superiore, Castelsaraceno, Castronuovo Sant’Andrea, Cersosimo, Chiaromonte, Corleto Perticara, Episcopia, Fardella, Francavilla in Sinni, Gallicchio, Grumento Nova, Guardia Perticara, Lagonegro, Latronico, Lauria, Marsiconuovo, Marsicovetere, Missanello, Moliterno, Montemurro, Nemoli, Noepoli, Paterno, Rivello, Roccanova, Rotonda, San Chirico Raparo, San Costantino Albanese, San Martino d’Agri, San Paolo Albanese, San Severino Lucano, Sant’Arcangelo, Sarconi, Senise, Spinoso, Teana, Terranova del Pollino, Tramutola, Viggianello and Viggiano;
in the province of Matera: Accettura, Aliano, Bernalda, Craco, Cirigliano, Ferrandina, Gorgoglione, Montalbano Jonico, Montescaglioso, Pisticci, Pomarico, Scanzano Jonico, Stigliano and Tursi.’
                  

New version:


                     ‘The area of origin of the milk and of production of “Canestrato di Moliterno” consists of the following municipalities in the provinces of Potenza and Matera.
Province of Potenza:
Abriola, Anzi, Armento, Brienza, Brindisi di Montagna, Calvello, Calvera, Carbone, Castelluccio Inferiore, Castelluccio Superiore, Castelsaraceno, Castronuovo Sant’Andrea, Cersosimo, Chiaromonte, Corleto Perticara, Episcopia, Fardella, Francavilla in Sinni, Gallicchio, Grumento Nova, Guardia Perticara, Lagonegro, Latronico, Laurenza, Lauria, Marsiconuovo, Marsicovetere, Missanello, Moliterno, Montemurro, Nemoli, Noepoli, Paterno, Pietrapertosa, Rivello, Roccanova, Rotonda, San Chirico Raparo, San Costantino Albanese, San Martino d’Agri, San Paolo Albanese, San Severino Lucano, Sant’Arcangelo, Sarconi, Sasso di Castalda, Satriano, Senise, Spinoso, Teana, Terranova del Pollino, Tramutola, Viggianello and Viggiano;
Province of Matera:
Accettura, Aliano, Bernalda, Craco, Cirigliano, Ferrandina, Gorgoglione, Montalbano Jonico, Montescaglioso, Pisticci, Pomarico, San Mauro Forte, Scanzano Jonico, Stigliano and Tursi.’
                  

Reason
New municipalities have been added: eight from the province of Potenza and one from the province of Matera.
The newly added municipalities border the current production area. Their topographic and agricultural characteristics are identical to those of the current demarcated geographical area. In addition, they have the same type of livestock and breeds, and the same traditions of production.
When the geographical indication was registered, these activities were not carried out in a structured way in the municipalities now proposed for inclusion.
In recent years, new agricultural operators have shown increasing interest in becoming part of the geographical area of Canestrato di Moliterno.
Given the above, the request from producers in these municipalities to become part of the demarcated geographical area seemed reasonable.
This amendment affects the single document.
2.   Method of production: Article 5 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document
Two breeds of goat have been added. They are Grigia Lucana and Rossa Mediterranea.
Previous version:


                     ‘The milk must come from sheep of the “Gentile di Puglia”, “Gentile di Lucania”, “Leccese”, “Sarda” or “Comisana” breeds or their cross breeds and from goats of the “Garganica”, “Maltese”, “Jonica”, “Camosciata” breeds or their cross breeds’.

New version:


                     ‘The milk from one or more milkings must be processed no later than 48 hours after the first milking. The milk must come from sheep of the following breeds:
Gentile di Puglia, Gentile di Lucania, Leccese, Sarda, Comisana or their cross breeds; and from goats of the breeds Garganica, Grigia Lucana, Maltese, Jonica, Camosciata, Rossa Mediterranea or their cross breeds’.

Reason
These breeds are indigenous. Historically they were used to produce milk for making Canestrato di Moliterno. However, in recent decades their numbers have fallen dramatically.
To prevent them from disappearing, in recent decades they have been included in programmes to protect biodiversity.
Including them in the product specification for the ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ PGI will assist in the recovery and conservation of these breeds.
This amendment affects the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’
                  


EU No: PGI-IT-0487-AM01 – 15.4.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’
            
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. Cheeses
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ PGI is reserved for sheep and goat’s cheese with a hard paste, produced with between 70 % and 90 % full ewe’s milk and between 10 % and 30 % full goat’s milk. When it is released for consumption, after at least 60 days of ripening, it is cylindrical, with flat top and bottom and a more or less convex heel. The diameter of the flat faces is 15 to 25 cm and the heel height is 10 to 15 cm. Its weight varies from 2 to 5,5 kg according to the size of the cheese wheel. The rind ranges in colour from more or less intense yellow in the ‘primitivo’ (young) variety to brown in the ‘stagionato’ (ripened) variety. The structure of the paste is compact with eyes irregularly distributed through it. On cutting, the colour is white or slightly straw-coloured for the ‘primitivo’ variety and more or less intensely straw-coloured for the ‘stagionato’ and ‘extra’ varieties. The flavour tends to be sweet and delicate in the early ripening stage and becomes more accentuated and tangy as this stage continues. The fat content in dry matter must not be less than 30 %. It may be used as a table cheese or grated.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The animals are mostly fed in pastures and on fresh fodder and straw produced in the area referred to in point 4. Their feed may be supplemented only with cereals such as oats, barley, wheat and corn, and legumes such as beans, field beans and chickpeas. The use of products derived from animal origin or silage is banned.
Milk from one or more milkings must be processed no later than 48 hours after the first milking. The milk must come from sheep of the following breeds:
Gentile di Puglia, Gentile di Lucania, Leccese, Sarda, Comisana or their cross breeds; and from goats of the breeds Garganica, Grigia Lucana, Maltese, Jonica, Camosciata, Rossa Mediterranea or their cross breeds.
These breeds of sheep are typical in the area.
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.
Ripening must take place exclusively in the ‘fondaci’ (underground storage rooms) of the traditional production area or in the municipality of Moliterno (Province of Potenza).
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Packaging and portioning of ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ must take place in the demarcated geographical area, in order to guarantee traceability and monitoring.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ geographical indication may be used only for products which have been ripened for at least 60 days. The addition of all adjectives is prohibited, including ‘fine’ (fine), ‘scelto’ (select), ‘selezionato’ (selected) or similar. However, the following terms are permitted: ‘primitivo’: for products ripened for up to 6 months; ‘stagionato’: for products ripened for more than 6 months, to a maximum of 12 months; ‘extra’: for products ripened for more than 12 months. ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ is released for consumption bearing the appropriate brand mark, consisting of two concentric circles, the first of which contains the words ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ and the second contains a three-turreted castle, the symbol for the municipality of Moliterno, 15 cm in diameter.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area of origin of the milk and of production of ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ consists of the following municipalities in the provinces of Potenza and Matera.
Province of Potenza: Abriola, Anzi, Armento, Brienza, Brindisi di Montagna, Calvello, Calvera, Carbone, Castelluccio Inferiore, Castelluccio Superiore, Castelsaraceno, Castronuovo Sant’Andrea, Cersosimo, Chiaromonte, Corleto Perticara, Episcopia, Fardella, Francavilla in Sinni, Gallicchio, Grumento Nova, Guardia Perticara, Lagonegro, Latronico, Laurenza, Lauria, Marsiconuovo, Marsicovetere, Missanello, Moliterno, Montemurro, Nemoli, Noepoli, Paterno, Pietrapertosa, Rivello, Roccanova, Rotonda, San Chirico Raparo, San Costantino Albanese, San Martino d’Agri, San Paolo Albanese, San Severino Lucano, Sant’Arcangelo, Sarconi, Sasso di Castalda, Satriano, Senise, Spinoso, Teana, Terranova del Pollino, Tramutola, Viggianello and Viggiano;
Province of Matera: Accettura, Aliano, Bernalda, Craco, Cirigliano, Ferrandina, Gorgoglione, Montalbano Jonico, Montescaglioso, Pisticci, Pomarico, San Mauro Forte, Scanzano Jonico, Stigliano and Tursi.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The reason for seeking registration of the name ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ is the reputation which the name itself enjoys. The PGI owes its reputation, including at international level, mainly to two basic elements: the breed of sheep native to the production area and the special ageing technique. The most widespread breed of sheep in the area is the Gentile di Lucania which is characterised by its very hardy nature, well adapted to the climate and geography of the area. It is a merino cross, resulting from cross-breeding of local populations with Spanish merino rams, which began in the 15th century. At that time, this type of cross breeding was born out of a need to combine good wool production with the greater capacity for meat production of the local sheep. This gave rise to a breed with a twofold aptitude for production. However, its limited capacity to produce milk means that milk yield is low. The quality of the milk, however, is excellent, which is hard to find in other breeds with greater capacity for milk production. The milk is characterised by a high fat and protein content.
The reproductive cycle of the breeds, together with the desire to get the maximum benefit from the mountain pastures, resulted in the custom of keeping mixed herds of goats and sheep. Not only do the goats of the Basilicata area produce high quality milk, they produce it in large quantities.
The principal special feature of ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ lies in the ripening stage of the cheese in the characteristic storage areas (‘fondaci’) typical of the municipality of Moliterno.
Indeed, even today producers of ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ use these very special premises which unmistakeably characterise the product, giving it the organoleptic characteristics for which it has always been known. The ‘fondaco’ provides a very cool and well-aired environment where various factors combine to form the microclimate essential for a product of excellent quality. Indeed, the successful ripening is attributed to the cold dry climate of the place. In conclusion, several factors, such as the quality of the raw material, the artisanal manufacturing techniques and above all the ripening, contribute to giving ‘“Canestrato di Moliterno’ its typical characteristics.
Since the 18th century, according to the earliest historical documentary evidence, the people of Moliterno have been raising sheep as their main occupation. The considerable reputation of the product is attested to in numerous documents. Even in past times, ‘Canestrato di Moliterno’ was particularly appreciated not only on the national market, but also abroad, being exported in particular to the United States.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/files/1/8/6/D.ed412d7dc24286a59f2a/disciplinare_Canestrato_di_Moliterno_02.24.pdf



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3834/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)