Publication of an approved standard amendment to the 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: 2025-01-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Principality of Asturias, Spain, blue-veined cheese, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202500337EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/337


14.1.2025






Publication of an approved standard amendment to the 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/2025/337)

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


                     ‘Cabrales’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0081-AM03 – 14 October 2024
                  


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name of product


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

Spain
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Directorate-General for Rural Development and Agri-food – Department of Rural Environment and Territorial Cohesion of the Principality of Asturias
—
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 amendments described and justified below do not involve a change in the name of the protected designation of origin or in the use of that name. They do not risk invalidating the link or imply new restrictions on the marketing of the product. Those amendments are therefore ‘standard amendments’ within the meaning 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.
1.   More precise description of the characteristics of the rind
The characteristics of the cheese rind are described in more detail, replacing the definition ‘soft, thin, oily, grey with reddish yellow areas’ with the following text:


                     ‘soft, thin, oily, grey - orange-brown, possibly with reddish yellow areas’.

This amendment affects Section B, ‘Description of the product’, of the product specification and Section 3.2, ‘Description of the product’, of the single document.
Reason:
The description of the rind characteristics has been amended in order to give a more precise definition of the characteristics of the protected product. The rind of the ‘Cabrales’ PDO cheese is characterised by shades of colour ranging from grey to orange-brown of varying intensity depending on the ripening time and on the handling of the cheeses in the cave by each of the producers.
A reddish-yellow rind colour has been observed since the introduction of the Cabrales PDO, mainly in cheeses ripened in caves on higher altitudes where ripening times are longer, while the cheeses ripened in caves at lower altitudes do not usually present this type of coloration with reddish-yellow colonies of microbes.
This amendment affects the single document.
2.   More precise description of the morphological characteristics of the cheese
The morphological characteristics relating to the diameter and height (proportion) of ‘Cabrales’ PDO cheese are described in greater detail. The following is included in the ‘diameter’ section defining the characteristics of the product:


                     ‘The diameter must never be less than the height of the cheese.’
                  

This amendment affects Section B, ‘Description of the product’, of the product specification and Section 3.2, ‘Description of the product’, of the single document.
Reason:
This amendment is due to the applicant group’s need to guarantee the traditional morphology of the product. The ‘Cabrales’ PDO cheese produced and placed on the market has a standard cylindrical shape, with a diameter which is equal to or greater than the height. The definition of this proportion variable improves the product description and strengthens its link with traditional production.
This amendment affects the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Cabrales’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0081-AM03 – 14 October 2024
                  


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Cabrales’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code







—


04 - DAIRY PRODUCE; BIRDS’ EGGS; NATURAL HONEY; EDIBLE PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED
0406 - Cheese and curd




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

Blue-veined cheese made from raw cow’s milk, sheep’s milk or goat’s milk or a mixture of two or all three types of milk – which must always be whole – with a balanced composition in terms of fats and proteins.
Ripened in caves for at least two months counting from the production of the curd.
Characteristics of the ripened cheeses:
Shape: cylindrical with smooth sides.
Height: from 7 to 15 centimetres.
Weight and diameter: variable. The diameter must never be less than the height of the cheese.
Rind: soft, thin, oily grey – orange-brown with possible reddish-yellow areas.
Body: oily consistency, although with a varying degree of cohesion, depending on the cheese’s level of fermentation. Compact, and without eyes. White in parts, with greenish-blue veins. Slightly piquant flavour, which is stronger in cheeses made from pure sheep’s milk or goat’s milk or a mixture.
Fat: no less than 45 % in dry matter
Minimum moisture content of 30 %
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The livestock is fed according to traditional practices, making direct use of the pastures and supplementing this with feed.
Raw cow’s milk, sheep’s milk or goat’s milk from livestock farms located in the defined geographical area. Rennet exclusively of animal origin.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

Both the production of the milk and the processing and ripening of the cheese 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

Packaging must take place within the defined geographical area so as to guarantee certain optimal conditions for the quality of the product. This allows the cheesemakers themselves to preserve the authenticity of the product, and makes traceability checks easier.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

The commercial labels on the cheeses must bear the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida Cabrales’, as well as the EU logo for Protected Designations of Origin.
The cheeses must also carry a secondary label, each with its own serial number, codified according to the format of the cheese that it is certifying. These secondary labels must be approved, checked and supplied by the inspection body in such a way that they cannot be reused.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of the milk suitable for making ‘Cabrales’ cheese comprises the villages of Arangas, Arenas, Asiego, Berodia, Bulnes, Camarmeña, Canales, Carreña, Escobar, Inguanzo, La Molina, La Salce, Ortiguero, Pandiello, Puertas, Poo, Sotres and Tielve in the municipality of Cabrales, and Oceño, Cáraves and Rozagas in the municipality of Peñamellera Alta, all of which fall within the Picos de Europa area in the province of Asturias.
The cheese is also processed and ripened in the production area.
5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the product
The specificity of Cabrales cheese, which makes it unique in relation to other cheeses, is determined by its organoleptic characteristics (rind and body).
Specificity of the area
This is reflected in the following natural and human factors:
1.   Natural factors
The Picos de Europa, situated in the south-eastern part of the province of Asturias and extending somewhat into Leon and Cantabria, are made up of mountainous massifs, which rise from the northern slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains, and vast pastures situated at altitudes above 800 metres.
2.   Human factors
Due to the isolation experienced by generations of inhabitants in this area, their economy is based on the exhaustive use and exploitation of the natural resources.
Firstly, the resources of the human settlements located in the Picos de Europa were traditionally based on the use of pastures in the summertime to feed a range of livestock, in general coming from the villages on the borders of the Picos. During the summer, the animals are free to roam the difficult pastures of the ‘peña’ (the name given to the Picos de Europa by local residents). Every small village has its own fold, which is farmed communally, but is made up of various herds, each owned by a different resident. In the summer, they are transferred to a few residents who are responsible for looking after and managing the livestock, while the others remain in the village and focus on harvesting and haymaking.
Secondly, thanks to the specific expertise of the local producers and the fact that difficulties in communication meant that the points of consumption were so remote, the milk was turned into cheese by the herders themselves.
Causal link between the specific nature of the area and the production and characteristics of the product
a)   Ripening caves
The existence of caves and caverns of different sizes and characteristics is due to karst formations and the peculiar dynamic between air and water found in the limestone mass of the Picos de Europa, which is one of the thickest in Europe.
The ripening caves are sometimes close to the fold or the herder’s house, but the majority are far away, and access along the winding mountain paths is difficult. They are located at altitudes between 800 and 1 200 metres, and those at higher altitudes are considered to be of greater quality.
The conditions a cave must meet in order to be suitable for ripening ‘Cabrales’ are as follows: it must be deep, with a north-facing entry; it must have at least two openings to the outside (one for access and another for ventilation) to create a current of air inside known as a ‘soplado’; and it must have flowing water. This causes the air in the cave to move slightly and gives it very high humidity (over 90 %), while keeping the temperature between 6 °C and 10 °C.
In these conditions, the walls are covered with mould, principally Penicillium roqueforti, and the air currents or ‘soplados’ loosen its spores, which fall on the cheese, germinate and enter the body of the cheese.
In order to ripen sufficiently, the cheeses must remain in the caves for 2 to 5 months on wooden shelves (‘talameras’). During this time they are periodically turned and cleaned.
Once the ripening process had finished, the cheeses used to be wrapped in leaves of the Acer pseudoplatanus to make them easier to handle during marketing. Nowadays, for cheeses covered by the designation of origin, this practice has been replaced by the use of food wrapping paper with leaves printed onto it.
b)   Reputation
There are accounts that attest to the reputation of ‘Cabrales’ cheese. For example, the writings of Jovellanos (18th century), Madoz’s Diccionario Geográfico, edited in the early nineteenth century, and González Solís’s Memorias Asturianas all state that Cabrales cheeses were presented at the Agricultural Exhibition in Madrid in 1857, alongside other Asturian products.
In 1911, in their report on dairy farming in Santander, the Alvarado brothers began their journey in the region of Cabrales, climbing the Picos de Europa to ‘visit’ the caves of the herders who make the famous ‘Cabrales’ cheese.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://run.gob.es/wzoCabralN24



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/337/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)