Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2022/C 431/08)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘Emmental français est-central’

EU No: PGI-FR-9180-AM01 – 16.4.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat des Fabricants et Affineurs d’Emmental Traditionnel (SFAET) [Union of Producers and Ripeners of Traditional Emmental]

26 rue Proudhon – 25000 Besançon

Tel. +33 381834613

Email: emmentalgrandcru.labelrouge@gmail.com

The group is made up of all milk producers and all cheese-makers included under the ‘Emmental français est-central’ Protected Geographical Indication. It therefore has a legitimate right to propose amendments to the product specification.

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

☐	Name of product

☒	Description of product

☒	Geographical area

☒	Proof of origin

☒	Method of production

☒

Link

☒

Labelling

☒	Other: updated contact details of the competent Member State authority and of the applicant group, updated references to the inspection bodies, updated national requirements (main points to be checked).

4.   Type of amendment(s)

☒	Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

☐	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5.   Amendment(s)

5.1.    Description of product

For cheese presented in grated form, the following has been added: ‘when bagged, the strands of grated cheese must be visually separate and not clumped together.’ This sentence appears in the current product specification, but in the section on proof that the product originates in the geographical area, which is the wrong place for an aspect of the description of the product.

The corresponding paragraph on the different forms of presentation has also been amended in the single document and moved to point 3.5.

5.2.    Geographical area

The geographical area, which comprises 13 departments in the current specification, has been reduced to 6 departments: Doubs, Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Jura, Territoire de Belfort and Vosges. The departments of Ain, Côte d’Or, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire and Savoie no longer form part of the geographical area.

This reduction of the geographical area makes it possible to strengthen the PGI’s link with the territory, as the reduced geographical area is characterised by more homogeneous climate conditions.

Since 2006, all operators authorised to produce milk and to make and ripen ‘Emmental français est-central’ have been located in the reduced geographical area as defined in the proposed amendment to the specification.

This amendment has also been made in the single document.

5.3.    Proof of origin

The sentence ‘Any operator wishing to be involved in all or part of the product specification must inform the group in order to be authorised, which must be done before any production takes place’ has been added at the beginning of the section to remind all operators of their obligation to make themselves known before starting production so that they can be checked by the inspection bodies. This addition does not affect the single document.

5.4.    Method of production

5.4.1.   Milk production – feeding the dairy herd

5.4.1.1.   Prohibited types of feed

The current specification prohibits certain types of feed from being given to the dairy herd (lactating cows and dry cows). A ban on feed containing raw materials, additives and processing aids derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been added. The presence of raw materials and additives derived from GMOs in the feed given to the dairy herd represents a direct or indirect risk to consumer health and to the environment.

A ban on ‘products derived from palm oil and palm kernels in any form’ has also been introduced, as these products are considered inappropriate due to the controversy surrounding them.

In addition, in order to remove any ambiguity in the wording, it has now been specified that the types of feed listed are prohibited both in the basic feed and in the supplementary feed.

All these amendments have also been made in point 3.3 of the single document.

5.4.1.2.   Basic feed

The current specification provides that the basic feed for the dairy herd is based on grass and hay. The animals must be reared in accordance with traditional cycles of alternating between grazing and stabling.

It has been added that the basic feed includes, in addition to grass, hay and second-cut hay, all coarse fodder distributed either green or wilted. It also includes plant tubers and beets. However, the fodder distributed must not appear on the list of prohibited types of feed.

This amendment has also been made in point 3.3 of the single document.

It has been specified that the ratio of 50 % of the total ration provided by grass and hay should be understood to mean the minimum percentage of the dry matter in the total ration provided by the basic feed.

This amendment has also been made in point 3.3 of the single document.

It has also been added that 100 % of the fodder constituting the basic feed for the dairy cows must come from the geographical area of the PGI. One of the main objectives of the application to amend the specification is to strengthen the link between the product and its territory. The organoleptic characteristics are influenced by the microflora in the milk. The biodiversity of this microflora is itself dependent on the nature of the grassland and of the fodder distributed to the animals. Milk from the grasslands in the geographical area is characterised by a higher protein content than average for France. This specificity is reinforced by the specification banning the introduction of fodder from outside the geographical area.

This amendment has been made in point 3.3 of the single document.

The term ‘stabling’ may be open to interpretation. It has been replaced by the words ‘livestock housing’ in the specification.

5.4.1.3.   Grazing

The current specification requires a minimum grazing period of 5 months. This requirement has been increased to 6 months. It has also been added that, during the grazing period, each holding must have at least 0,30 hectares under grass, consumed fresh, per lactating cow, of which at least 0,20 hectares are accessible from the place of milking and are used for grazing.

Compulsory grazing and making optimal use of the grassland are a major element of the product specification. The grassland is characterised by a broad botanical and microbial diversity. Maintaining traditional grazing and haymaking cycles contributes to this biodiversity.

These amendments have been made in point 3.3 of the single document.

5.4.1.4.   Manger feeding

A provision has been added to the current specification (specifying that when animals other than dairy cows are present in the same cowshed (same building) and are fed with feed not authorised for the dairy cows, these animals must be kept in a separate enclosure within the cowshed.

The specification prohibits various raw materials from being given to the dairy herd as feed, requiring that the dairy herd be kept separate from other herds on the farm, in particular at the level of livestock buildings. This provision particularly ensures that feed distributed to the dairy herd is not contaminated by prohibited raw materials, in particular fermented products, and makes inspection easier.

This amendment does not affect the single document.

5.4.1.5.   Arrangements for feed distribution

The specification states that dry fodder (hay, second-cut hay) intended for dairy cows (including dry cows) must not be wetted before or during distribution. Where tubers or beets are distributed to the dairy cows, anything left uneaten must be removed within 24 hours of distribution.

This clarification has also been added under paragraph 3.3 of the single document.

5.4.1.6.   Supplementary feed

It has been specified that, with the exception of molasses and beet vinasse, supplementary feed must be distributed in dehydrated or inert form.

This section lists the raw materials and additives that are authorised to form part of the dairy herd’s supplementary feed. The classification has been amended to correspond to the nomenclature of the European legislation in force (Regulation (EU) No 68/2013). The category headings have been amended accordingly.

The category previously called ‘1. Cereal grains: their products and by-products’ has been replaced by the category ‘1. Cereal grains and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force. Sorghum has been added to the list of currently authorised raw materials. Sorghum is an alternative to maize and has no contraindications for use as feed for dairy herds.

The category previously called ‘2. Oil seeds or oil fruits, their products and by-products’ has been renamed ‘2. Oil seeds, oil fruits and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force. Palm oil has been removed from the list of raw materials currently authorised in the form of seeds, oil or oilcake.

It has been specified that all authorised raw materials may be included in the form of oils and fats.

The category previously called ‘3. Legume seeds’ has been renamed ‘3. Legume seeds and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force.

The category previously called ‘4. Products from sugar production’ has been renamed ‘4. Tubers, roots and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force. The following have been added to the list of currently authorised raw materials:

—	liquid beet vinasse;

—	dehydrated beet pulp (already authorised under category ‘6. Dehydrated fodder’ in the current specification) and dehydrated tuber pulp;

—	potato proteins.

Potato proteins are already authorised in another section of the current specification.

The raw material ‘sugar cane’ has now been included under category ‘7. Other plants, algae and products derived therefrom’.

The category previously called ‘5. Dehydrated fodder’ has been renamed ‘6. Forages and roughage, and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force. Dehydrated grasses and legumes have been added to the list of currently authorised raw materials. Grass hay and leguminous hay are already authorised as feed for dairy herds under the current specification. This authorisation has been extended to those same types of fodder in dehydrated form or in the form of derived products in protein concentrates.

The category previously called ‘6. Other plants, their products and by-products’ has been renamed ‘7. Other plants, algae and products derived therefrom’ in accordance with the nomenclature in force.

Category 7 and the table of additives authorised under the current specification have been replaced by the following three new headings in order to bring them into line with the European nomenclature in force:

—	Category 11: Minerals and products derived therefrom;

—	Category 12: Products and by-products of fermentation of microorganisms – see amendment 13 for vinasse;

—	Additives and processing aids (see the simplified list of additives authorised by Regulations (EC) No 1831/2003 and (EU) 2019/962).

These amendments, which do not alter the characteristics of the product, do not affect the single document.

5.4.1.7.   Feeding regimes for dairy cows

The feeding regimes have been updated in line with the changes explained above:

—	increase of the minimum grazing time from 5 months to 6 months;

—	replacement of the phrase ‘grass and/or hay and/or second-cut hay’ with ‘basic feed’.

The phrase ‘to keep the animals in good health’ has been deleted as it was unnecessary.

This amendment, which does not alter the characteristics of the product, does not affect the single document.

5.4.2.   Cheese dairies – Storing and collecting the milk

The sentences ‘The milk collected by the cheese dairies must be traceable. A collection log must be kept up to date by the cheese dairies.’ have been deleted as they do not belong in the section on ‘Method of production’.

This amendment does not affect the single document.

5.4.3.   Cheese dairies – Production chain

The sentence ‘The production plants must be situated in the geographical area defined in point 3.’ has been deleted as it is a repetition of a requirement in the section on the definition of the geographical area.

The sentence ‘The milk used for production must come from authorised holdings complying with the product specification.’ has been deleted as it is a repetition of a requirement in the section on proof that the product originates in the geographical area.

The paragraph ‘So that it can be checked at any time, traceability of the production of “Emmental français est-central” must be ensured so that the origin of milk used is known and the product can be monitored at all stages of production. The system must also enable the cheeses produced to be identified at a later date.’ has been deleted from the section ‘Method of production’ and moved to the section on proof that the product originates in the geographical area, which seems more appropriate.

These amendments do not affect the single document.

5.4.4.   Cheese dairies – Production

The text has been clarified to confirm that all preservatives other than salt are prohibited.

The stipulation has been added that none of the ingredients and processing aids may be derived from genetically modified organisms. This is justified by an as yet incomplete assessment of the risks to the consumer and to the environment.

The maximum length of time for maintaining the temperature of the curd (90 minutes) has been deleted because it is of no technological or qualitative significance.

The paragraph ‘All requirements relating to the conditions for collecting, receiving and storing the milk at the cheese dairy and producing the cheese must be controlled and monitored by the person responsible for production. All production record sheets must be kept for a period of 3 years.’ has been deleted from the section ‘Method of production’ and moved to the section on proof that the product originates in the geographical area, which seems more appropriate.

These amendments do not affect the single document.

5.4.5.   Ripening facilities – Duration of cheese ripening

The sentence ‘The ripening facilities must be situated in the geographical area defined in point 3.’ has been deleted as it is a repetition of a requirement in the section on the definition of the geographical area.

This amendment does not affect the single document.

5.5.    Link

The section ‘Elements justifying the link with the geographical area’ has been completely rewritten in order to better highlight this link in a more concise way.

The introductory sentence ‘The link with the origin of “Emmental français est-central” is based on its specific quality.’ has been added.

The reference to the Alpine massif has been removed as it is no longer part of the defined geographical area.

The specific nature of the product includes the elements set out in the section ‘Description of the product’.

This redrafting, which does not alter the link, also affects the single document.

5.6.    Labelling

In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the requirement has been added for the name of the product and the EU logo to appear in the same visual field. To that end, the sentence ‘In addition to the mandatory information required by the rules on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, the labelling must display the registered name of the product and the European Union PGI logo in the same visual field.’ has replaced the sentence ‘The designation “Emmental français est-central” and the European PGI logo are mandatory on the labelling of cheese intended for sale to consumers.’

This clarification has been made in the single document.

5.7.    Other

The contact details of the competent Member State authority and of the applicant group have been updated. This amendment does not affect the single document.

Inspection bodies:

The name and contact details of the certification body have been deleted in application of the applicable instructions at national level in order to harmonise the wording of the product specifications.

Under this heading, the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections are now provided, i.e. the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF).

The name and contact details of the certification body can now be consulted on the INAO website and in the European Commission’s database.

This amendment does not affect the single document.

In the national requirements, the new grazing obligations have been added to the table containing the main points to be checked. This amendment does not affect the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Emmental français est-central’

EU No: PGI-FR-9180-AM01 – 16.4.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

‘Emmental français est-central’

2.   Member State or third country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

Raw cow’s milk cheese, cooked, pressed and salted with openings ranging from the size of a cherry to that of a walnut, containing a minimum of 45 % fat in dry matter, which is at least 62 g in 100 g of cheese. The paste has a supple and melt-in-the-mouth quality. The rind is hard and dry, and golden yellow to light brown in colour. The cheese is ripened for at least 12 weeks from the date of production until it leaves the cellar.

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

The basic feed for the herd comprises grass, hay and second-cut hay as well as all coarse fodder not included in the list of prohibited types of feed.

The basic feed must account for at least 50 % of the dry matter in the total food ration, including during the grazing period.

Grazing is compulsory for at least 6 months to maintain the link with the pastures of the geographical area.

100 % of the fodder constituting the basic feed for the dairy cows must come from the geographical area.

During the grazing period, each holding must have at least 0,30 hectares under grass, consumed fresh, per lactating cow, of which at least 0,20 hectares are accessible from the place of milking and are used for grazing.

The dairy herd’s stocking density must not exceed 1,6 dairy livestock units per hectare of forage area allocated to the dairy herd, including cereals consumed on the holding itself.

Fermented products are banned to avoid contamination by butyric acid bacteria spores that could alter the qualities of the cheese.

Dry fodder intended for dairy cows must not be wetted before or during distribution.

Where tubers or beets are distributed to the dairy cows, anything left uneaten must be removed within 24 hours of distribution.

Supplementary feed may not account for more than 50 % of the dry matter in the total food ration distributed to the dairy cows.

The following are prohibited from the animals’ diet all year round (in both the basic and the supplementary feed):

—	silage products in the form of fermented feed and bales of fodder which have been wrapped, creating anaerobic conditions;

—	types of feed which adversely affect the smell of the milk;

—	liquid whey;

—	non-dehydrated marc, fruit, draff and pulp;

—	products derived from palm oil and palm kernels in any form;

—	hay preservatives other than sodium chloride;

—	feed containing raw materials, additives and processing aids derived from genetically modified organisms.

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

The production of the milk, the cheese-making process and ripening must take place in the geographical area.

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

The cheese comes in the following forms:

—	whole wheels (from 60 kg to 130 kg – from 0,70 m to 1 m in diameter – at least 14 cm high at the sides) or wedges (¼ of a wheel, ⅛ of a wheel, etc.), blocks and long cross-sections (longes), or

—	portions and pieces, or

—	mini portions, or

—	grated (when bagged, the strands of grated cheese must be visually separate and not clumped together).

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

In addition to the mandatory information required by the rules on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, the labelling must display the registered name of the product and the European Union PGI logo in the same visual field.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the following departments: Doubs, Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Jura, Territoire de Belfort and Vosges.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the origin of ‘Emmental français est-central’ is based on its specific quality.

The traditional production area of ‘Emmental français est-central’ is situated across two mountain ranges (Vosges and Jura) forming what is known as the ‘east-central’ region [‘Est-central’].

These mountain ranges are characterised by long, cold winters, hot and relatively dry summers, and abundant rainfall with many days of rain. This climate is particularly suitable for producing high-quality grass and hay (high protein and fatty acid content).

The pastures in the east-central region of France have a high botanical and microbial diversity.

This diversity is preserved thanks to the milk producers’ agronomic practices, in particular by maintaining traditional grazing and haymaking cycles.

The difficult geographical and climatic conditions in this region make it ideally suited to dairy cattle farming, which makes good use of the grass and feed produced by its pastures.

In the Middle Ages, the art of making large wheels of cheese provided a solution for preserving the abundant supply of summer milk during the winter.

Gradually, as the production of these cheeses required large volumes of milk (up to 900 litres of milk per wheel), producers set up cooperatives to pool their milk. The east-central region is known for its cheese-making cooperatives, which are called ‘fruitières’.

Today, the cheese dairies still form an integral part of the regional heritage because of their close relationship to the land, and help maintain economic and social activity in the rural municipalities of east-central France.

‘Emmental français est-central’ is a raw cow’s milk cheese, cooked and pressed with openings ranging from the size of a cherry to that of a walnut. The paste has a supple and melt-in-the-mouth quality. The rind is hard and dry, and golden yellow to light brown in colour. The cheese is ripened for at least 12 weeks from the date of production until it leaves the cellar. They are large cheeses (from 60 kg to 130 kg – from 0,70 m to 1 m in diameter – at least 14 cm high at the sides).

These are the characteristics looked for during the final selection carried out by the ripeners based on traditional know-how.

The specific quality of ‘Emmental français est-central’ is down to the feed of the dairy cattle herd and the grazing obligation (at least 6 months), which forges a strong link between ‘Emmental français est-central’ and the various areas that make up the east-central region.

The dairy cows’ basic feed comes exclusively from the geographical area: grass during the summer period, and hay and coarse fodder during winter. Therefore, the local feed given to the cows results mainly from a respect for the traditional cycles of grazing and haymaking, which helps to preserve grassland biodiversity but also the microbial biodiversity of the milk.

The organoleptic characteristics of ‘Emmental français est-central’ are influenced by the grassland flora and especially the microflora of the milk, which must be used raw. Thus the milk from the grasslands of the east-central region has a higher protein content, which is essential for it to be made into cheese.

In addition, the ban on the use of fermented feed (silage and wrapped, round bales of hay) and of supplementary feed from scented plants (Cruciferae, etc.) prevents the occurrence of butyric fermentation and acidity in the milk and later in the cheese, and prevents flavours and odours that are unpleasant to consumers.

In the same way, the absence of butyric fermentation owing to the quality of the milk and the limited lipolysis due to the storage conditions of the collected milk allow the product to be ripened for a longer period and to keep better.

These precautions are essential to allow large wheels of cooked, pressed cheese made from raw milk to be ripened in cellars for a long period of time (at least 12 weeks as opposed to 6 weeks for standard French Emmental), in keeping with tradition.

The ripening process consists of three stages, including an intermediate phase in warm cellars during which the characteristic openings in the paste are formed. These opening are separate from one another, spherical to oval in shape, well distributed, regular and well defined, ranging from the size of a cherry to that of a walnut.

The more pronounced proteolysis, resulting from long-term ripening, is the reason for the typical clean and fruity flavour.

At the end of the ripening process, it is up to the ripener to select the cheeses based on various scores relating to the organoleptic characteristics of ‘Emmental français est-central’ PGI, such as openings, paste, flavour and aroma.

The 12-week maturing period, along with the intrinsic qualities of the milk used, is therefore the single most important factor that lends ‘Emmental français est-central’ its characteristic features. Mastery of the three phases of ripening combined with an astute selection process by the ripeners at the end of this stage contributes to the typical characteristics of the product, which is characterised mainly by a hard, dry rind, a golden-yellow to light-brown colour, a supple and melt-in-the-mouth paste and openings ranging from the size of a cherry to that of a walnut.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-17d4b020-03b3-42af-88ee-d9124b73b41b

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.