São Jorge
The "Queijo são Jorge" was, because of its historical importance, was protected in 1986 with the creation of the "Região Demarcada do Queijo de São Jorge" ("Demarcated Region of the Cheese of São Jorge") and regulated as a registered "Denominação de Origem Protegida" (DOP), attributed to the brand "Queijo São Jorge". About 1800 tonnes of cheese are produced annually, from 800 producers among nine milk processing cooperatives. This means that the cheese of São Jorge is one of the pillars of the island economy, despite the constant management problems that have affected the industry. In 1991, a confraternity, named the "Confraria do Queijo de São Jorge", whose role was sampling of cheeses for certification, by the Uniqueijo Cooperative.