Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2023/C 287/07)

This publication confers the right to oppose the 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.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Ezine Peyniri’

EU No: PDO-TR-02889 – 5.1.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Ezine 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

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

‘Ezine Peyniri’ is a creamy white cheese manufactured with a mixture of sheep, goat and cow’s milk and matured in brine for at least 8 months. Depending on the season, 35-45 % sheep’s milk is mixed with minimum 40 % goat’s milk and maximum 25 % cow’s milk. ‘Ezine Peyniri’ exhibits the following characteristics:

Sensory Properties

—	Colour: White - light yellow

—	Texture: Semi-hard or firm with small holes and without skin

—	Taste and Aroma: ‘Buttery’ and ‘cooked milk’ aroma and ‘mild-sweet’‘salty’ and ‘sour’ taste

Chemical Properties

	Minimum
Fat in dry matter (%)	49
Dry matter (%)	43
Salt content in dry matter (%)	6
Acidity (% Lactic acid)	0,70
pH	4,72

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

The milk used in production of ‘Ezine Peyniri’ is supplied from sheep of ‘Tahirova’, ‘Sakız’, ‘Dağlıç’ and ‘Sakız+Dağlıç’ breeds, cows of ‘Holstein’ breed and goats of ‘Karakeçi’ raised in the area. Particularly the milks collected during the season starting from March and until July are used in production of ‘Ezine Peyniri’. Dairy cows, sheep and goats producing the raw material for ‘Ezine Peyniri’ are fed only with the fodder supplied from the geographical area. During spring and summer months, the animals are fed on pastures, and exceptionally indoors. During winter months, they are fed with hay harvested from the pastures found in the geographical area. The fodder fed to these animals does not contain concentrated animal feed. The minimum average grazing season per year is eight months. Quality of the milk is a result of the free-range grazing method for dairy farming and also, the abundance and quality of fodder found in the area. The flora is composed of hundreds of aromatic plants, most particularly sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), common sage (Salvia officinalis L.), horse mint (Mentha longifolia L.), lemon balm (Melisa officinalis L.) and common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.).

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

All the steps, from pasturage and milk production to maturing of cheese must be carried out in the identified geographical area referred to in Section 4.

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

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

‘Ezine Peyniri’ logo must be used on the product’s packaging. Labelling can be applied directly on the packaging or on tags attached to the packaging. All producers can use labels given that they give notice the producer group of their production.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

In Çanakkale Province, Ezine, Bayramiç and Ayvacık districts; Şerbetli, Etili, Alatliburun, Küçüklü, Alibeyköy and Söğütalan villages of Çan district and Karacaören, Kurşunlu, Şerbetli and Kirazlı villages of Merkez district.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The area reflects the transitional features between Mediterranean and Black Sea climates. Besides, it has lower average temperatures in winter. Minimum temperature is in February, at -4,2 °C and maximum temperature is in August, at +35,8. Annual average temperature is 14,7 and the average humidity is 72,6 %. Another feature distinguishing the area from other environments is the strong winds during most of the year.

Annual dominant wind direction in the area is north. The most common winds are northeaster, north, southwester and south. Annual average precipitation is between 662,8 m3 and 854,9 m3. Rainfall during summer is low. The months with the highest precipitation are December, January and February. The number of days with snow cover is around 8 days at most.

These climatic conditions allow the floral diversity for natural grazing and the limited days of snow cover enable yearly long-term grazing of the dairy animals on pastures. Three districts placed in the geographical area are located between the Kaz Mountains and the Aegean Sea. Sheep and goat breeding is prevalent in the area. Plants of a high diversity grow, particularly in spring, on the non-arable lands on the Kaz Mountains’ piedmont. Kaz Mountains provide the area with high precipitation and rich flora and with an abundance of oxygen. Since the hundreds of area-specific aromatic plants consumed by the animals have a direct effect on the milk’s taste and aroma, its features give a unique taste and aroma profile to the cheese. Particularly the milks collected during the season starting from March and until July are used in production of ‘Ezine Peyniri’. Kaz Mountains’ climate, geographically transitional between Mediterranean and Black Sea climates is semi-humid with high precipitation. These humid conditions and faulty topography have caused a robust forest cover and rich flora on the Kaz Mountains. The flora is composed of hundreds of aromatic plants, most particularly sweet marjoram, wild marjoram, common sage, horse mint, lemon balm and common thyme The flora is composed of hundreds of aromatic plants, most particularly sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), common sage (Salvia officinalis L.), horse mint (Mentha longifolia L.), lemon balm (Melisa officinalis L.) and common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). The cheese produced from milk collected from animals feeding on these plants has ‘“buttery” and “sweet” aroma.

Sea salt is exclusively used in production of “Ezine Peyniri”. Use of easily dissolvable sea salt prevents melting and breaking of the cheese and allows the cheese to easily exude its water content during the maturation process.

Specificity of the product

“Ezine Peyniri” is of white - light yellow colour and has a medium-rigid and non-fragile texture. It contains small holes throughout the cheese. “Ezine Peyniri” has a “creamy” aroma (caused by the milk fat in the milk’s composition) of “cooked milk” (contributed by the heat treatment). Taste and aroma properties of the sheep, goat and cow milks used in production are imparted to the product and affect the taste and aroma of the cheese. “Ezine Peyniri” is matured for at least 8 months in brine. This process gives the cheese its typical colour, texture and taste. The enzymatic, chemical and microbial reactions during maturation of protein, fat and lactose in the milk’s composition causes characteristic sour’ and ‘sweet’ tastes in the cheese; small holes are found and the cheese stays rindless.

Causal link between the geographical area and the product’s quality, its reputation or other characteristics

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Traditional livestock breeding practices are applied in an area with a transitional climate between Mediterranean and Black Sea climates, with semi-humid, high-precipitation and and windy climatic features; the area’s Kaz Mountains that are free of adverse environmental conditions imposed by industrialisation provide the area with high rainfall and rich flora, as well as abundant oxygen.

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The designated area has natural pastures rich in local aromatic plant populations that are used in every season by the livestock breeders for sheep and goat grazing, optimally based on their experience of the area’s geological features; the area’s climatic properties and specific flora that contributes to production of milks with a particular quality and hence gives ‘Ezine Peyniri’ unique qualities and a pleasant organoleptic character.

—	Specific methods used during production: — Use of three types of milk (goat, sheep and cow milk) at production; — Use of animal-sourced abomasum rennet; — Maturation in brine; — Use of only sea salt; — Not using starter culture; — A maturation period of at least 8 months.

Reference to publication of the specification

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.