C 53/8
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
13.2.2023
The sheep and goat’s milk comes from local and other breeds, including their crosses, that graze throughout the year, provided weather conditions permit.
All the coarse fodder in the sheep and goats’ diet is locally produced (green forage, hay, silage, straw/stubble and grazing on wild plants).
As regards feed supplements, cereals, including barley and maize, protein feed such as husked, partly decorticated soybean meal, products and by-products of various raw materials such as wheat bran, and inorganic substances, vitamins and micronutrients may be used.
The cow’s milk comes from cows that are housed in sheds and fed on forage, hay, silage and straw that are produced in Cyprus, mainly from native forage plants, and on feed supplements.
Specifically, the cows’ diet consists of locally produced forage (green forage plants, hay, silage and straw/stubble).
The remainder of their diet consists of feed supplements containing mainly barley, maize, soya and bran, and other protein feed such as husked, partly decorticated soybean meal, products and by-products of various raw materials such as wheat bran, and inorganic substances, vitamins and micronutrients.
Milk (fresh sheep or goat’s milk or a mixture thereof, with or without cow’s milk added), rennet (but not pig rennet), fresh or dried Cypriot mint leaves (Mentha viridis) and salt.
The proportion of sheep or goat’s milk or the mixture thereof must always be greater than the proportion of cow’s milk.
In other words, when cow’s milk is used in addition to sheep or goat’s milk or a mixture thereof, the proportion of cow’s milk in the Halloumi must not be greater than the proportion of sheep or goat’s milk or the mixture thereof.
The milk used for making Halloumi is Cypriot full-fat milk.
The milk must be pasteurised or have been heated to a temperature above 65 °C. It must not be condensed milk or contain any of the following: milk powder, condensed milk, casein salts, colourings, preservatives or other additives.
It must not contain antibiotics, pesticides or other harmful substances.
The sheep and goat’s milk comes from local and other breeds, including their crosses, that are reared within the defined geographical area.
The cow’s milk comes from cows that were gradually introduced in Cyprus and that are reared within the defined geographical area.
3.4.
Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area The sheep, goat and cow’s milk that is the raw material for the production of ‘Halloumi’ cheese is produced within the defined geographical area.
Halloumi itself is also produced within the defined geographical area.
3.5.
Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to ‘Halloumi’ cheese must be packaged within the defined geographical area for the following reasons: (a) immediately after it has been produced, Halloumi must be packaged to prevent further ripening, (b) the Halloumi production process (production-packaging) cannot be interrupted (continuous production), (c) to ensure traceability, the product must be packaged by the producer and labelled accordingly, (d) to prevent any cheese produced outside Cypriot territory being marketed as PDO Halloumi, so as to guarantee the quality and origin of the product and ensure that the requisite controls can be carried out.
3.6.
Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to Regarding the composition of the milk used to produce ‘Halloumi’, in cases where a mixture of milks is used, the different types of milk must be mentioned on the label, in decreasing order of percentage.
4.
Concise definition of the geographical area The administrative boundaries of the districts of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, Paphos and Kyrenia.