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: 2025-09-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Sweden, Södermanland county, blue-veined cheese, consumer information, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202504965EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/4965


9.9.2025






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/2025/4965)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT
(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)


                     ‘Sörmlands Ädel’
                  


EU Reference number: PGI-SE-02629-AM01 – 18.6.2025
                  

1.   Name of the product

Sörmlands Ädel
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PGI










☐


PDO










☐


GI




3.   Sector







☑


Agricultural products










☐


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Sweden
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment


Name

National Food Agency
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The amendments to the specification and the single document are standard amendments within the meaning of Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 for the following reasons:






(a)


they do not include a change in the name of the protected designation of origin, or in the use of that name;










(b)


they are unlikely to risk voiding the link referred to in Article 46(1)(b) for protected designations of origin;










(c)


they do not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.




7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Heading

Change in moisture content

Description

In the product specification, under the heading ‘Product description’, and in the single document, under ‘3.2. Description of the product’.
Current product specification/single document:
Chemical properties:
Moisture content: 45–48 %
Dry matter content: 52–55 %
Salt content: 2 %
Fat content: 32–34 % (58–65 % of dry matter)
Protein: 21–23 % (38–44 % of dry matter)
Proposed new wording:

               ‘Chemical properties:
Moisture content: 39–42 %
Dry matter content: 58–61 %
Salt content: 1,7–2,4 %
Fat content: 31–35 % (51–60 % of dry matter)
Protein: 20–23 % (33–40 % of dry matter)’
            






☑


The amendment affects the single document





Heading

Clarification concerning processing aids/additives

Description

In the product specification, under the heading ‘Raw materials’, and in the single document, under the heading ‘Description of the product’, an addition to the text has been proposed and the text under ‘Cooking salt (NaCl)’ has been moved elsewhere.
Proposed new wording:


                  ‘Cooking salt (NaCl)
If necessary, CaCl2 (max. 30 ml of 35 % solution per 100 litres of cheese milk) may be added to increase the yield of milk protein during cheese production.’
               

In the product specification, under the heading ‘Information on the product’, it is proposed to add new text:


                  ‘If necessary, CaCl2 (max. 30 ml of 35 % solution per 100 litres of cheese milk) may be added to increase the yield of milk protein during cheese production.’
               







☑


The amendment affects the single document





Heading

Change to the description of the surface

Description

Organoleptic characteristics:
Appearance: Surface: Flowery. The top and bottom of the cheese are warm yellow with walnut brown and dark grey nuances. The edge is walnut brown with dark grey and warm yellow nuances.
Proposed new wording:

               ‘Appearance: Surface: Flowery blue-green-black.’
            
The amendment is proposed because it has become apparent that the colour description was not entirely correct, as pointed out by Germany after the publication of the application during the opposition procedure at the Union stage. The amendment provides a more accurate description of the product.






☑


The amendment affects the single document




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of agricultural products



                     ‘Sörmlands Ädel’
                  


EU Reference number: PGI-SE-02629-AM01 – 18.6.2025
                  

1.   Name

Sörmlands Ädel
2.   Geographical indication type







☐


PDO










☑


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Country to which the defined geographical area belongs

Sweden
4.   Description of the agricultural product

4.1.   Classification of the agricultural product in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature heading and code, as referred to in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143


                  0406 40  – Blue-veined cheese and other cheese containing veins produced by Penicillium roqueforti

4.2.   Description of the agricultural product to which the registered name applies


                  ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ is a soft, mature blue-veined cheese (2) made from low-pasteurised organic whole cow’s milk.
Cheeses with the protected indication ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ meet the following requirements:
Physical properties:
Shape: The cheese is cylindrical with a diameter of 19–21 cm and a height of 10–12 cm.
Weight: 2,8–3,0 kg
Ripening period: 5–12 months
Chemical properties:
Moisture content: 39–42 %
Dry matter content: 58–61 %
Salt content: 1,7–2,4 %
Fat content: 31–35 % (51–60 % of dry matter)
Protein: 20–23 % (33–40 % of dry matter)
Organoleptic characteristics:
Appearance: Surface: Flowery blue-green-black.
Cut surface: Homogeneous yellow (NCS S1010-Y) with bluish-green mould (NCS S5020-B30G).
Consistency: Soft/semi-soft, elastic consistency.
Aroma: A basic aroma of tempered sour cream butter, damp cellar with notes of mushroom and truffle and mild notes of orange flesh and bitter orange.
Flavour: Wide, round, creamy and complex. Flavourful without being sharp or acidic. Acidic notes with saltiness and umami as well as notes of cellar, stable and caramel. The flavour intensifies during ripening.
Aftertaste: Long and full aftertaste that fills the entire mouth. Umami, butter, balanced saltiness and acidity.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full and round with pleasant saltiness and slight but pleasant graininess.

                  ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ belongs to the category of acidic blue-veined cheeses (bleu acid). It has a complex flavour and aroma that create an overall harmonious experience. ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ is flavourful and has a long, pleasant aftertaste without the bitterness found in other ripened blue-veined cheeses of the bleu acid type.
Raw materials: Organic whole milk from cows of the Swedish Red and White (Svensk röd och vit boskap, SRB), Swedish Friesian (Svensk låglandsboskap, SLB) and Swedish Polled (Svensk kullig boskap, SKB) breeds. The cows are milked 2–3 times a day. The milk is chilled until it is used at the cheese dairy. The milk must not be more than 72 hours old. The milk’s fat and protein contents vary between 4,3 % and 4,6 % and 3,5 % and 3,7 %, respectively, depending on the season (grazing or feeding with a feed mix) and the breed composition of the herd.
Other additives: Mesophilic starter cultures (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus cremoris, Lactobacillus diacetylactis, Leuconostoc cremoris and Streptococcus thermophilus), natural rennet and blue mould culture (Penicillium roqueforti).
Cooking salt (NaCl)
If necessary, CaCl
2
 (max. 30 ml of 35 % solution per 100 litres of cheese milk) may be added to increase the yield of milk protein during cheese production.
4.3.   Derogations on sourcing of feed (for products of animal origin designated by a Protected Designation of Origin only) and restrictions on sourcing of raw materials (for processed products designated by a Protected Geographical Indication only)

The cows’ diet is composed of organically produced feed. During the summer period, from May to September, the cows are kept outdoors and graze on grass from meadowland. During the period when the pastures produce too little grass to provide sufficient feed, the cows may be fed an organic feed mix consisting of silage, straw, cereals (barley (Hordeum vulgare), oats (Avena sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), fodder beans (Vicia faba), minerals, salt and lime.
4.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The production of ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ must take place in the area defined in point 4 and comprises the following steps: The cows are milked and the milk is low-pasteurised and mixed with lactic acid bacteria and blue mould culture. The curd is cut and moulded. The cheeses are pressed, turned regularly and salted. The growth of blue mould is stimulated by making openings in the cheeses. The cheeses are then wrapped and left to ripen.
4.5.   Specific rules concerning packaging, slicing, grating etc. of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

—
4.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

—
4.7.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ covers the province of Södermanland.
5.   Link with the geographical area


The causal link with the geographical origin is based on







☑


reputation










☑


a distinctive quality










☐


Other characteristics of the product





Summary of the link

The link is based on the specific characteristics of ‘Sörmlands Ädel’, which are mainly attributable to its geographical origin.
Thanks to the milk from three specific cow breeds and the know-how developed in the geographical area, ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ has acquired the following specificities: an aroma of sour cream butter and damp cellar and a round, creamy and complex flavour with some acidic notes as well as notes of cellar, stable and caramel. The cheese is also flavourful with a long, pleasant aftertaste without the bitterness found in other ripened blue-veined cheeses of the bleu acid type.

                  ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ is made with a mixture of two different strains of P. roqueforti, a production method that is unique to ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ and endows the cheese with a wide and complex flavour spectrum.
The characteristics of ‘Sörmlands Ädel’ depend on the cheesemaker’s experience and ability to adapt the cheesemaking process by relying on their sense of sight, taste and touch, for example to seasonal variations in the milk’s fat and protein content. This is done by varying the time and temperature during the different production stages of ‘Sörmlands Ädel’.
When the cheese is moulded, the cheesemaker determines when the curd has the right texture, particle size and moisture content for the blue mould and lactic acid bacteria to have the growth conditions necessary to produce the enzymic activity required for breaking down the milk fat and consequently for developing the organoleptic characteristics of ‘Sörmlands Ädel’.
In order to stimulate the growth of the blue mould during the ripening process, openings are made in the cheese so that oxygen can penetrate the cheese and carbon dioxide can be released. The cheesemaker regulates the rate of growth of the blue mould by, on the one hand, reducing gas exchange by placing the cheese in a plastic film and, on the other, lowering the cheese’s ripening temperature.

Electronic (url) reference to the publication of the product specification


https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/globalassets/foretag-regler-kontroll/livsmedelsinformation-markning-halsopastaenden/skyddade-beteckningar/produktspecifikation-sormlands-adel_reviderad-2024_06_13.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).

(2)  Under Codex Standard 283–1978.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/4965/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)