Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27
Date: 2025-05-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Extremadura, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, goats’ milk cheese, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202502971EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2971


23.5.2025






Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 (1)

(C/2025/2971)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)



                     ‘Queso Ibores’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0261-AM01 - 25.2.2025
                  

1.   Name of product


               ‘Queso Ibores’
            
2.   Geographical Indication type







☒


Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)










☐


Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)










☐


Geographical Indication (GI)




3.   Sector







☒


Agricultural products










☐


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Spain
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Directorate-General for Agriculture and Livestock of the Government of Extremadura
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The amendment to the product specification of the PDO ‘Queso Ibores’ is considered a standard amendment as it does not fall into any of the categories provided for in Article 23(3)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 2024/1143.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)

1.   Amendment of the wording relating to authorised livestock breeds

The reference to one of the permitted breeds of goat has been removed from the product specification. The breed in question was referred to in the text as ‘Serrana’. This is an ambiguous and obsolete name which, in reality, referred to a group of breeds not included in the Official Catalogue of Livestock Breeds in Spain. It has been replaced by the following breeds of goat: Florida, Malagueña and Murciana-Granadina. These are all considered to be native Spanish breeds in the aforementioned catalogue, as well as characteristic of large areas of the southern half of the Iberian peninsula. This change concerns Sections B, E and F of the product specification and Section 3.2 of the single document.
This amendment affects the single document.
2.   Amendment to the dimensions

A few minor changes have been made to specific physical characteristics of the protected product: height, diameter and weight of the cheeses. The purpose is to permit cheeses of slightly smaller dimensions. This affects only Section B of the product specification and Section 3.2 of the single document.
This amendment affects the single document.
3.   Clarification regarding the duration of coagulation and pressing of the cheese

Further details are given regarding some aspects of the production process for the protected cheeses. In particular, the duration of coagulation and pressing has been reduced, in order to adapt these parameters to the technological advances that have occurred since the PDO was registered. This amendment affects only Section E(2) of the product specification.
This amendment affects the single document.
4.   Amendment relating to the inspection body

Section G (inspection body) has been adapted to reflect the current legal and administrative situation.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
5.   Amendment to labelling requirements

Provisions relating to labelling have been described in greater detail, with the addition of a paragraph on permitted forms for sale and how they are labelled. This amendment concerns Section H of the product specification and Section 3.5 of the single document.
This amendment affects the single document.
6.   Deletion of national legislative requirements

Section I (National legislation requirements) has been deleted as unnecessary.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Queso Ibores’
                  


EU No: PDO-ES-0261-AM01 - 25.2.2025
                  


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)


               ‘Queso Ibores’
            
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


                  ‘Queso Ibores’ is a full-fat cheese, produced exclusively with raw milk from goats of the breeds Verata, Retinta, Florida, Malagueña and Murciana-Granadina and crosses thereof. The milk is the whole natural product obtained from healthy goats reared on holdings registered in the PDO Register of Livestock Holdings.
Mature ‘Queso Ibores’ has the following characteristics.
PHYSICAL
The product is cylindrical in form, with a top and bottom that are more or less flat with rounded edges. It is 4 to 9 cm high, with a diameter of 8 to 15 cm and weighs 400 to 1 200 g. Its rind is smooth and medium hard and traditionally coated in pepper or oil. Its natural colour is between waxen yellow and dark ochre, though this varies depending on the different types of mould that develop, from the greyish of its natural rind to the orange-red of the pepper-coated type and ochre yellow for the oil-coated version. The interior is ivory-coloured, medium hard, with a moist, creamy texture that varies between crumbly and spongy, and has a few small, unequally distributed holes.
CHEMICAL
Minimum fat content – 45 % of dry matter. Minimum dry matter content – 50 %. pH: from 5,0 to 5,5. Total protein in dry matter: minimum 30 %. Maximum NaCl: 4 %.
ORGANOLEPTIC
Aroma varies between sweet and mild, typical of goats cheese made from raw milk. Typically has a strong taste: slightly tart, tangy and salty, with a slight aftertaste of goat’s milk, very pleasant on the palate.
MICROBIOLOGICAL
Complies with current rules on food safety.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The feeding system of the free-range, or semi free-range, goat population takes advantage of the natural resources of the geographical area. There is supplementary feeding using straw, fodder, cereals and blends based on pulses and seeds in the periods of greatest need, such as giving birth and lactation, or when vegetation cover is at its scarcest during summer.
The milk used to produce ‘Queso Ibores’ is from the breeds of goat listed above. The holdings must be located in the production area and registered in the PDO Register of Livestock Holdings.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The cheese is manufactured in registered cheese dairies inside the production area covered and overseen by the Regulatory Board.
The maturing process takes place in registered establishments overseen by the Regulatory Board.
The final product is then subjected to the appropriate physical, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic analyses required to guarantee its quality.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The cheeses are normally placed on the market whole. Nevertheless, cheeses with the protected designation of origin can be divided into half or quarter pieces by the dairies, with an appropriate system for guaranteeing the provenance, origin and quality of the product, along with proper preservation and appropriate presentation to the consumer, in compliance with the legal requirements regarding hygiene and health.
The cutting of the cheeses must take place in dairies which are registered with the Regulatory Board, and are in the production area.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The protected product must bear a reference to the PDO ‘Queso Ibores’. It must bear a label authorised by the Regulatory Board. The product intended for consumption must bear a numbered secondary label issued by the Regulatory Board and affixed in a registered dairy in such a way that it cannot be reused. This secondary label is affixed to each cheese, or piece of cheese, in such a way that it cannot be removed or reused, and is unmistakeably identifiable and ensures product traceability.
Appearance of the obligatory PDO logo:





Appearance of the secondary label:





4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area in which the milk is produced and the cheese is made includes the natural districts of Ibores, Villuercas, La Jara and Trujillo: a total of 35 municipalities in the south-east of the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   History

The cheese is a product with origins dating back centuries, for both production and sale. Queso Ibores as we know it today has been produced in the area covered by this PDO from the earliest times. Indeed, there are records of it being sold every Thursday in Trujillo since 14 July 1465, the date on which Henry IV of Castile awarded this town the right to have its own free market, exempt from royal taxes on vegetables, cereals, livestock and animal products (meat, milk, cheese, etc.). One of the streets in this town is still called ‘Calle de los Cabreros’ (street of the goat herds), recalling its use as the compulsory route to the weekly market, through which farmers would drive their animals.
Furthermore, in February 1940 the local town of Jaraicejo applied to have a weekly market, and was awarded one in January 1945. Any articles and products that could be weighed or measured could be brought to this market. In time, the market came to be limited to the selling and buying of goat’s cheese, with farmers from nearby villages bringing their products to sell every week from January to July.
Largely on account of the importance of the dairy and cheese-making sectors in this part of Extremadura, since 1986 the annual National Cheese Festival has been held, featuring the best cheese-related products from all over Spain and other countries too.
5.2.   Natural factors

The countryside is mainly Mediterranean in character, primarily pasture-covered plains featuring holm oaks and cork trees, with groves of alders, poplars and willow on the rivers, mountain forests and rockrose undergrowth. The land is elevated, forming parallel upland ranges facing south-east to north-west, and areas of peneplain with surfaces of igneous rock. The climate is characterised by average temperatures of between 15 and 16 °C, with cold winters and very hot summers.
The indigenous goat breeds have proved to be the best adapted to the climatic characteristics of the area, with its cold winters and hot summers, and to the uneven topography and harsh conditions of their free-ranging, or semi free-ranging, existence. They benefit from the grassland on this marginal land of great ecological interest, contributing to the conservation of the natural environment.
The characteristic flora of the area, dominated by holm oaks and cork trees, provides food with certain specific qualities for the livestock, with acorns being one of the main and high-quality sources of winter food, together with rockrose undergrowth, thyme, heather, etc. This translates into dairy products which, while they may not be very refined, are of renowned quality.
5.3.   Production and processing systems

The production method uses raw milk, with the best hygiene and sanitary conditions, from goats of the breeds Verata, Retinta, Florida, Malagueña and Murciana-Granadina and crosses thereof. These breeds are characterised by a number of particular qualities such as their great hardiness and capacity to adapt to extreme climates and terrain, and have traditionally been the main goat breed reared in the ‘Queso Ibores’ production area. This is because other breeds are not able to reach this level of adaptability in a free-range or semi-free range rearing system, given the topography of the natural area.
The coagulation process is activated using industrially homogenised natural rennet from the abomasum from the stomach of lactating ruminants, generally containing 80 % rennin and 20 % pepsin, and with an average strength of 1:15 000. Coagulation takes place at a temperature of between 28 and 32 °C and lasts between 30 to 60 minutes. The curd produced is then chopped until 5 to 10 mm granules are obtained. These are then placed into authorised cylindrical moulds for shaping, and then pressed by special machines for 1 to 3 hours at a pressure of between 1 to 2 kg/cm2.
The salting process can be either dry or wet, but the agent used is always sodium chloride. With wet salting, the product may be immersed for up to 24 hours in a saline solution with a maximum concentration of 20° Bé.
Queso Ibores needs at least 60 days to mature. Cheeses manufactured by producers using milk from their own livestock and matured for at least 100 days can be termed ‘Artesanos’ (artisanal) cheese.
5.4.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality and characteristics of the product.

The area covered by the Queso Ibores PDO is characterised by its high terrain forming parallel upland ranges facing south-east to north-west. These are the mountains of Deleitosa, Villuercas, Palomera, Valdelacasa and, bordering the province of Toledo, Altamira, with peaks of Armorican quartzite and slate. There are areas of peneplain with Precambrian terrain where there are also large areas of igneous rocks. A large part of the geographical area of the PDO is now part of the ‘Villuercas, Ibores, Jara’ geopark, recognised by Unesco.
Since ancient times, these lands have favoured the breeding of local goat varieties adapted to the harsh conditions of pasturing.
The landscape is mainly Mediterranean, predominantly pasture-land on the plain, with groves of alders, poplars and willow on the rivers and troughs, and mountain forests. The pasture-land is not only formed of holm oak and grasses: depending on the soils and moisture, its botanical mix also includes oak, cork trees, chestnut, rockrose brushwood, heather, broom, Spanish lavender and thyme. While not abundant, the grasslands are of great quality.
As they feed, the goats benefit from this environmental and natural richness, which is transformed into dairy produce of great quality. The result is Queso Ibores in which dairy, plant, floral and fruity aromas and flavours are clearly apparent due to its being made from raw milk.
Traditional production methods are still used, but with the application of modern technology in order to comply with the highest quality standards in health and hygiene, and to produce authentic and unique Queso Ibores.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://www.juntaex.es/documents/77055/621148/Pliego+DOP+Queso+Ibores.pdf



(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2971/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)