Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within 3 months from the date of this publication.

The product specification referred to in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 is available in the Union register of geographical indications.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Erzincan Tulum Peyniri'

EU No: PDO-TR-03056 — 11.1.2024

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

’Erzincan Tulum Peyniri'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Türkiye

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ is a white to cream in colour, whole-fat, semi-hard homogenous cheese produced from at least 95 % raw milk of Akkaraman sheep or a mix of milk from that animal with Morkaraman sheep or goat’s milk, with a maximum of 5 % of the latter, produced between the fourth and ninth month of the year, matured in the sheep or goat’s skin bag or plastic drums. ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ has a granular structure, crumbles in the mouth and has a distinctive flavour arising from compounds from feed, lipolysis and oxidation products, giving it an acidic taste that bites the tongue. Some of chemical parameters of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ are given below.

— Total solids (%)	: Minimum 55
— Moisture (%)	: Maximum 45
— Fat in dry matter (%)	: Minimum 45
— Salt in dry matter (m/m)	: Maximum 5
— Titratable acidity as lactic acid	: Maximum 2
— pH	: 4,7-5,4
— Colour	: White to cream
— Texture Rindless	: Easily crumbles when squeezed between two fingers.
— Texture in mouth	: Easily crumbles and creamy

‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ has a ‘creamy’, ‘animal-like’, ‘lipolytic’, ‘fermented’, ‘sulfurous’, ‘fruity’ aroma and ‘salty’ and ‘sour’ taste. Due to these flavour active compounds, it gives a tongue-biting, throat-burning sensation and stimulates the salivary glands in mouth.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The milk used in the production of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ is supplied from the Akkaraman breed of sheep, milked between the fourth and ninth month of the year. Akkaraman sheep must be fed within the geographical border of Erzincan province. The designated area has natural pastures rich in local aromatic plant populations. During the spring and summer months, the animals are fed on pastures. During the winter months, they are fed with hay harvested from the pastures found in the geographical area. In both situations, the producers may include winter cereals produced in the Erzincan province in the daily ratio. The fodder fed to these animals does not contain concentrated animal feed. The minimum average grazing season per year is 6 months. Akkaraman sheep milk is characterised by high-fat content (>6 %) and high unsaturated fatty acids. These are related to the genetics of the dairy animal and the feeding regime in pastures and meadows in the demarcated area.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All processes should be performed in the geographical area specified in Article 4. These steps should include animal husbandry, animal feeding, milk production, cheese processing, filling and maturation.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

—

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by legislation on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, labels must include the following:

—	The name of the designation ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’,

—	Trade name and address or short name and address or registered mark of the producer,

—	European Union PDO logo

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The province of Erzincan is located in the Upper Euphrates Section of the Eastern Anatolia Region with an 11 903 km2 surface area. The area of the province is located between approximately 39° 02′ - 40° 05′ north latitude and 38° 16′ - 40° 45′ east longitude. Erzurum surrounds Erzincan province from the east, Bingöl from the southeast, Bayburt and Gümüşhane from the north, Giresun from the northwest, Sivas from the west, Tunceli from the south, and Elazığ and Malatya from the southwest.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specific characteristics of the product

‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ is a semi-hard cheese with a white-creamy colour and a homogeneous structure that can crumble when squeezed between two fingers. It is matured in the sheep or goat’s skin bag or plastic drums for at least 4 months. It has a distinctive flavour due to high levels of lipolysis, oxidation products and plant-originated volatile compounds.

It leaves a creamy feeling in the mouth and has a flavour that bites the tongue. When taken into the mouth, it stimulates the salivary glands. The taste of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ stems from the animal’s feeding regime, the milk’s native enzymes, processing steps and the microbial activity during cheese maturation. Aromatic terpenes (α/β-pinene, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, o/p/m-cymene, 2/3-carene, limonene, terpinene, copaene, α/β-caryophyllene) pass into the cheese with the feeding regimen, and the unsaturated fatty acid composition is affected.

A high proportion of organic acids (acetic, propionic, 2-methyl propanoic) by microbial activity and free fatty acids (butanoic, 3-methyl butanoic, hexanoic and octanoic acid) due to lipolytic activity and oxidation products of these acids (2-heptanone, 2/3-nonene, (E)2-nonanone, nonanol, 3-methylthio–1-propanol) and esters (ethyl butanoate, methyl hexanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, 3-methyl butyl octanoate, propyl decanoate, ethyl decanoate, methyl decanoate) contribute its distinctive flavour. Due to these aromatic active ingredients, it has a tongue-biting, throat-burning, creamy, animal-like, lipolytic, fermented, sulfurous, fruity, acidic and salty flavour.

Natural spring salt, produced in Kemah city of Erzincan province and, known as ‘Kemah salt’ is exclusively used in the production of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’. This salt is mostly in amorphous structure and dissolves easily in the cheese matrix and exudes its water content during processing.

Specific characteristics of geographical area

Erzincan province has a semi-arid continental climate with cold and rainy winters and dry and hot summers. Because of its unique geography (plains at an altitude of 1 800 m and steep mountains at the height of 3 000 m), Erzincan province’s microclimatic conditions have a positive influence on pasture, meadow and the growth of endemic plants, which eventually affect the milk composition and flavour of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’. The province is a suitable region for animal husbandry activities, in particular sheep farming, with its broad meadow-pasture potential. The Akkaraman sheep breed, which has adapted to this harsh geography and climate, produces the milk used in ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’. The sheep graze in meadows and pastures with endemic plants and are sometimes fed with winter cereals also produced in the Erzincan province. Of these plateaus, Çimen, Melan and Sarıçiçek have rich vegetation. 596 endemic taxa, 64 of which are specific to Erzincan province, have been identified there. In addition, 43 % of the cultivated area is used for grain production. In the province, wheat and barley from the grain group and alfalfa from forage crops constitute the first three rows of the cultivation areas. Plant-based aromatic compounds constitute the feeding regime.

‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ is an artisanal cheese from semi-nomadic tribes of origin. Therefore, human knowledge and experience are central to the cheese quality. In particular, the crumbliness of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ is the product of human effort. Breaking of curd and salting the curd during the straining of the cheese and repeating this process at least twice causes the formation of the characteristic crumbling texture of the cheese. It also causes the partial oxidation of the fat in the cheese, which leads to the development of flavour and stimulates the growth of microorganisms. The tongue-biting and throat-burning flavours develop because of these steps.

Tightly filling the cheese into the skin bags or plastic drums requires skill. Any air bubble in the cheese causes it to deteriorate. Once the cheeses are tightly filled in plastic drums, multiple small holes must be opened to complete the syneresis, whereas in the skin bags this process occurs through the skin. This reduces the water activity of the cheese during maturation and stimulates microorganisms and enzymatic activity to produce the distinctive flavour. By losing the water content, the aroma compounds that form become more concentrated and therefore enhance the flavour of the cheese.

Finally, preparing the skin bags in which the cheese is to be filled requires specific experience and dexterity. First, the skin of the slaughtered goat and sheep is removed as a whole, cleaned, salted and dried – a process that requires mastery, knowledge and skill.

Causal links

The quality and distinctive characteristics of ‘Erzincan Tulum Peyniri’ are influenced by the climate, the dairy animal adapted to this climate and geography, and the production technique in the demarcated area. These are as follows:

—	Traditional livestock breeding practices are carried out in an area with a high altitude and continental climate. The area is free from adverse environmental conditions imposed by industrialisation.

—

The designated area has natural pastures rich in local aromatic plant populations that are used by the livestock breeders for sheep, based on their experience of the area’s geological features. The area’s climatic properties and specific flora contribute to the production of milks with a particular quality, which give ‘Ezincan Tulum Peyniri’ unique qualities and a pleasant organoleptic character.

—	Specific methods used during production include: — use of Akkaraman sheep’s milk, — use of animal-sourced abomasum rennet, — use of Kemah salt, and — maturation in a plastic barrel or a goat/sheep skinbag.

Reference to publication of the specification

Official Geographical Indication, Designation of Origin and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed Bulletin of Turkish Patent and Trademark Office No 111 of 17 October 2021, page 84.

---

(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).