Sole Article

The application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014, including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Banon’ (PDO) is contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to oppose to the amendment referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within three months from the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union.

ANNEX

APPLICATION FOR EAPPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

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

‘Banon’

EU No: PDO-FR-0290-AM02 – 10.1.2018

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

The group is made up of milk producers, processors and ripeners and therefore has a legitimate right to request amendments to the product specification.

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

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

4.   Type of amendment(s)

5.   Amendment(s)

5.1.   Product name

Under the ‘Product name’ heading, the following provision:

has been replaced by:

‘Banon’

The following paragraph has been deleted:

The name of the PDO is considered to be sufficient in this section of the specification.

5.2.   Description of product

The provision ‘The rind is a creamy-yellow colour under the leaves’ is replaced by ‘The rind is a creamy-yellow or golden-brown colour under the leaves’.

As regards the colour of the rind under the leaves, ‘creamy-yellow’ is supplemented by ‘or golden-brown’ to better characterise the product.

The following paragraph has been added:

These clarifications stem from the work of the committee in charge of organoleptic examination of the product.

These changes have also been made to the Single Document.

5.3.   Geographical area

Under the heading ‘Definition of the geographical area’, the list of municipalities in the geographical area has been updated following changes in the names of certain municipalities in the geographical area. The perimeter has not been changed.

5.4.   Proof of origin

The obligation to keep a register of the quantities of milk purchased has been abolished for ‘farming’ operators, because national legislation does not allow them to buy milk. The obligation remains in force for ‘non-farming’ operators.

5.5.   Method of production

—   breed of the goats:

The following paragraph has been deleted:

The following paragraph:

has been replaced by the following:

The deadlines in the specification have been deleted because they have passed.

Those provisions have also been removed from the summary.

—   minimum period of grazing and minimum period during which the goats must obtain their rough feed by grazing:

The following paragraph:

has been replaced by the following:

The words ‘geographical area’ are more precise than ‘area’ and facilitate inspections.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

The provisions

and

have therefore been removed once.

The minimum period of grazing and the minimum period during which the goats must obtain their rough feed by grazing, referred to twice in the specification, have been removed in order to avoid repetition.

These amendments have also been made to the Single Document.

—   restriction on the supply of feed in troughs:

The sentence:

has been deleted, as this sentence adds nothing to the maximum limit values already set out in the specification.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

—   supplementary ration:

The words ‘or cereal by-products’ have been added in order not to exclude compound feedingstuffs whose label specifies that they contain cereals and cereal by-products.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

—   restriction on purchases of fodder from outside the geographical area:

The sentence ‘Purchases of fodder from outside the area are similarly restricted.’ has been deleted because, having no target value, it does not provide any specific limitation. Besides, the restriction on purchases of fodder from outside the geographical area has been laid down as follows in the current specification:

This provision has also been removed from the Single Document.

—   daily distribution method for dehydrated lucerne:

The following provision:

has been replaced by:

The obligation to distribute dehydrated lucerne in two portions has been deleted, as the small quantities distributed do not justify this precaution (introduced because the ingestion of too much nitrogen can cause a serious metabolic disease, alkalosis).

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

—   Prohibited types of feed:

The paragraph:

has been replaced by:

Since the target value ‘and other plants and seeds that might give the milk a bad taste’ is not precise enough to be easily checked, it has been removed.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

—   introduction of the ban on GMOs:

The following paragraph has been added:

This provision makes it possible to preserve the traditional character of the feed and traditional methods of animal feeding.

This provision has also been added to the Single Document.

—   origin of the feed:

The following paragraph has been added to the Single Document: ‘As regards the origin of the feed, the production of concentrates is difficult and that of fodder limited owing to the natural factors of the geographical area. As the the origin of the concentrates is not specified, they may come from outside the geographical area. The basic ration comes mainly from the geographical area, but hay from outside the area may be distributed to the goats. The fact that the amount of concentrates and the amount of hay that may come from outside the geographical area is limited means that most of the feed is obtained from the geographical area. The following amounts per goat and per year may come from outside the geographical area:

Taking into account the goat's average annual intake of 1 100 kg, the share of feed from the geographical area accounts for at least 58 % of the total (in dry matter).’

This addition to the Single Document serves to demonstrate that most of the feed of the goats comes from the geographical area. The feed cannot be obtained entirely from the area owing to the natural factors described under ‘Link with the geographical area’.

—   temperature and time limit for renneting:

The paragraph:

has been replaced by the following:

As the temperature range for renneting has been strictly defined in the specification registered in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1211/2013 of 28 November 2013 (between 29 °C and 35 °C), and the milk used is raw goat's milk, the intermediate concept of heating temperature has been deleted because it is unnecessary: it refers to the heating of the milk for the renneting phase (temperature already defined).

The provision:

has been replaced by

The time limit for renneting in dairy-based production has been modified to allow enterprises to adapt their organisation to the duration of milk collection and to the smallest volume of milk used each time for renneting. The current collection scheme involves the collection of night milk. The last milking is collected around 2.30 am and renneted in its entirety in a large basin (1 000 litres) starting at 6.30 am. However, as there are a smaller number of breeders and the volumes are low, night work should be limited and the renneting of milk should be allowed as from 8.00 am on a small scale (80-litre vats). This may extend the operation until 12 noon.

—   moulding phase

The paragraph:

has been replaced by:

In order to allow the operators to adapt to the new techniques, it has been specified that mechanical assistance is authorised during the moulding phase (lift for basins, conveyor belt), but human intervention is required for the distribution of the curd in the moulds: all forms of fully mechanical moulding are prohibited.

—   draining and mould release phase

The paragraph:

has been replaced by:

In accordance with the know-how, the duration of each step (between 18 and 48 hours for the draining, at least 24 hours for the drying) and the drying temperature (at least 13 °C) have been added in order to provide a framework for the operators' practices.

—   salting time

The salting time has been removed to allow operators to adapt it to the concentration of brine used and still obtain the same result.

—   maturation phase

The paragraph:

‘The maturation, which lasts at least 15 days after renneting, takes place in the geographical area and is carried out in two stages:

has been replaced by:

‘The maturation, which lasts at least 15 days after renneting, is carried out in two stages:

The reference to the geographical area has been deleted, because it is unnecessary in this part of the specification. The description of the rind has been moved and placed after the description of the parameters of the maturation phase and made consistent with the description of the product. The description of the paste has been deleted, because that criterion, which requires cutting the cheese, is not checked at this stage.

The paragraph:

has been replaced by:

In addition to the practice of soaking the cheeses in eau-de-vie made from wine or from grape marc, that of spraying them with eau-de-vie made from wine or from grape marc has been added, as both methods give comparable results.

5.6.   Link

The heading ‘Elements justifying the link with the geographical area’ has been entirely rewritten in order to demonstrate more explicitly the link between ‘Banon’ and its geographical area, without altering the substance of the link itself or removing any elements. Demonstrating this highlights, in particular, the link between the geographical environment, which is Mediterranean and suited to goat breeding and pastoralism, and the specific production and maturation know-how required to produce ‘Banon’.

The first part describes the ‘Specificity of the geographical area’ and sets out the natural factors of the geographical area as well as the human factors, highlighting the specific know-how required for breeding the goats and producing the cheeses.

The second part describes the ‘Specificity of the product’, in particular certain elements introduced in the product description.

Finally, the last part explains the ‘Causal link’, i.e. the interaction between the natural and human factors and the product.

The entire link in the specification of the PDO can be found under point 5 of the Single Document.

5.7.   Labelling

Under the heading ‘Specific labelling details’, the term ‘designation’ relating to the cheeses has been removed, as the heading and, more generally, the specification only concern cheeses with the designation of origin; the term is therefore unnecessary.

This amendment has also been made to the Single Document.

5.8.   Other amendments

Under the heading ‘Applicant group’: the contact details of the group have been amended.

Under the heading ‘References to inspection bodies’, the name and contact details of the official bodies have been updated. In that section are provided the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections, i.e.: the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). It has been added that the name and contact details of the certification body can be consulted via the website of the INAO and the European Commission's database.

The table with the main points to be checked has been updated to take account of an amendment (removal of the maximum heating temperature), and a main point to be checked concerning the nature of the milk (raw and whole milk, non-standardised in terms of protein and fat) has been added, in accordance with the current specification.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Banon’

EU No: PDO-FR-0290-AM02 – 10.1.2018

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Banon’

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 product to which the name in 1 applies

‘Banon’ is a soft cheese made from raw, whole goat's milk. It is produced by rapid curdling (using rennet). The matured cheese is entirely wrapped in natural brown chestnut leaves and tied up with six to twelve strands of natural raffia forming a radial pattern.

After maturing for a minimum of 15 days, including 10 days in its leaf wrapping, ‘Banon’ is smooth, creamy, velvety and soft. The rind is a creamy-yellow or golden-brown colour under the leaves. It is a cheese characterised by animal - mainly goat-like - notes, often accompanied by ammoniac and undergrowth aromas, with a slight final bitterness. It has a velvety texture that melts in the mouth. With the leaves, the cheese is 75 to 85 mm in diameter and 20 to 30 mm in height. The net weight without leaves after the maturation period is 90 to 110 grams.

The cheese contains a minimum of 40 grams of dry matter per 100 grams of cheese and 40 grams of fat per 100 grams of cheese when completely dry.

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

The basic feed ration of the goats comes mostly from the geographical area. It is obtained exclusively by grazing and/or rough grazing and from dry feed made from legumes and/or grasses and/or spontaneous flora preserved in good conditions.

As soon as the weather and vegetation permit, the goats must be put out to graze and/or rough graze. They must graze regularly on the rough grazing and pastures in the area for at least 210 days per year.

They graze:

For at least four months a year, they must obtain most of their rough feed by grazing.

During the period when the roughage ration must come mainly from grazing, the share of hay must not exceed 1,25 kg of raw material a day for each adult goat present.

The annual share of hay is limited to 600 kg of raw material for each adult goat present.

Green fodder provided in troughs is not authorised for more than 30 non-consecutive days per year.

The use of supplements is limited to 800 g of raw material a day for each adult goat present and to 270 kg of raw material a year for each adult goat present.

At least 60 % of the annual supplementary ration must be composed of cereals or cereal by-products. The use of dehydrated lucerne is limited to 400 g of raw material a day for each adult goat present and to 60 kg of raw material a year for each adult goat present.

The use of fodder and dehydrated lucerne from outside the geographical area has been limited to 250 kg of raw material a year for each adult goat present.

Silage and wrapped fodder and cruciferous fodder are prohibited.

Only plants, by-products and supplementary feed derived from non-transgenic products are authorised in the animal feed. Transgenic crops are prohibited in all areas of farms producing milk intended for processing into the ‘Banon’ PDO. This prohibition applies to all types of plant likely to be given as feed to dairy animals on the farm and to all crops liable to contaminate such plants.

On the farm, the forage area actually intended for the goat herd must be equal to at least 1 ha of natural and/or artificial grassland for every 8 goats and 1 ha of rough grazing for every 2 goats.

As regards the origin of the feed, the production of concentrates is difficult and that of fodder limited owing to the natural factors of the geographical area. As the origin of the concentrates is not specified, they may come from outside the geographical area. The basic ration comes mainly from the geographical area, but hay from outside the area may be distributed to the goats.

The fact that the amount of concentrates and the amount of hay that may come from outside the geographical area is limited means that most of the feed is obtained from the geographical area.

The following amounts per goat and per year may come from outside the geographical area:

Taking into account the goat's average annual intake of 1 100 kg, the share of feed from the geographical area accounts for at least 58 % of the total (in dry matter).

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

The milk must be produced and the cheese made and matured in the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

Each cheese must be marketed with an individual label showing the designation of origin in characters at least as large as any other characters on the label.

The EU PDO symbol must be included in the labelling of cheeses with the protected designation of origin ‘Banon’.

The name ‘Banon’ must appear on invoices and commercial documents.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is composed of the following municipalities:

Department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)

Municipalities fully included in the area: Aiglun, Allemagne-en-Provence, Archail, Aubenas-les-Alpes, Aubignosc, Banon, Barras, Beaujeu, Bevons, Beynes, Bras-d'Asse, Brunet, Céreste, Champtercier, Châteaufort, Châteauneuf-Miravail, Châteauneuf-Val-Saint-Donat, Châteauredon, Clamensane, Cruis, Curel, Dauphin, Digne-les-Bains, Draix, Entrepierres, Entrevennes, Esparron-de-Verdon, Estoublon, Fontienne, Forcalquier, Hautes-Duyes, La Javie, La Motte-du-Caire, Lardiers, La Rochegiron, Le Brusquet, Le Castellard-Mélan, Le Castellet, Le Chauffaut-Saint-Jurson, L'Escale, Les Omergues, L'Hospitalet, Limans, Malijai, Mallefougasse-Augès, Mallemoisson, Mane, Marcoux, Mézel, Mirabeau, Montagnac-Montpezat, Montfuron, Montjustin, Montlaux, Montsalier, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Nibles, Niozelles, Noyers-sur-Jabron, Ongles, Oppedette, Peipin, Pierrerue, Pierrevert, Puimichel, Puimoisson, Quinson, Redortiers, Reillanne, Revest-des-Brousses, Revest-du-Bion, Revest-Saint-Martin, Riez, Roumoules, Sainte-Croix-à-Lauze, Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues, Saint-Jeannet, Saint-Julien-d'Asse, Saint-Jurs, Saint-Laurent-du-Verdon, Saint-Maime, Saint-Martin-de-Brômes, Saint-Martin-les-Eaux, Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron, Salignac, Saumane, Sigonce, Simiane-la-Rotonde, Sisteron, Sourribes, Thoard, Vachères, Valbelle, Valernes, Villemus, Volonne.

Municipalities partly included in the area: Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, Ganagobie, Gréoux-les-Bains, La Brillanne, Les Mées, Lurs, Manosque, Montfort, Oraison, Peyruis, Valensole, Villeneuve, Volx.

For these municipalities, the boundary of the geographical area is marked on the maps lodged with the town hall of the municipalities concerned.

Department of Haute-Alpes (05)

Barret-sur-Méouge, Bruis, Chanousse, Val Buëch-Méouge (for the territory of the former municipality of Châteauneuf-de-Chabre), Éourres, Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, Garde-Colombe, La Piarre, Laragne-Montéglin, Le Bersac, L'Épine, Méreuil, Montclus, Montjay, Montmorin, Montrond, Moydans, Nossage-et-Bénévent, Orpierre, Ribeyret, Rosans, Saint-André-de-Rosans, Sainte-Colombe, Sainte-Marie, Saint-Pierre-Avez, Saléon, Salérans, Serres, Sigottier, Sorbiers, Trescléoux.

Department of Drôme (26)

Aulan, Ballons, Barret-de-Lioure, Eygalayes, Ferrassières, Izon-la-Bruisse, Laborel, Lachau, La Rochette-du-Buis, Mévouillon, Montauban-sur-l'Ouvèze, Montbrun-les-Bains, Montfroc, Montguers, Reilhanette, Rioms, Saint-Auban-sur-l'Ouvèze, Séderon, Vers-sur-Méouge, Villebois-les-Pins, Villefranche-le-Château.

Department of Vaucluse (84)

Aurel, Auribeau, Buoux, Castellet, Gignac, Lagarde-d'Apt, Monieux, Saignon, Saint-Christol, Saint-Martin-de-Castillon, Saint-Trinit, Sault, Sivergues, Viens.

5.   Link with the geographical area

‘Banon’ originates in Haute-Provence around the municipality of Banon. It is a dry mid-range mountain region with landscapes made up of hills and plateaux. The climate is Mediterranean.

The area is characterised by a lack of water, as the groundwater runs deep inside the earth and the surface water receives exceptional and highly irregular precipitation mainly in the autumn and spring, with a marked shortage of rain in the summer.

The geographical area of ‘Banon’ is characterised by not very fertile soils that are mainly chalky, permeable and excellent at absorbing rainwater.

In that environment, low-density forest vegetation consisting of Aleppo pine, oak, broom, boxwood and scented plants alternates with heaths featuring scattered coppices and bushes and crops adapted to the harsh Provençal climate prevailing at medium altitudes: dry, sunny and often rather cold in the winter. It is an environment that provides areas well suited to rough grazing by goat herds.

The natural conditions of this region explain why pastoralism and low-yielding crops are an important part of its overall economy.

The goats feed essentially on pastureland and in forage areas. The breeders have introduced a specific production system incorporating the diversity of natural resources. Grazing combines three types of resources: natural grassland, woods and nitrogen-rich legumes. Most breeders tend their own goats. This enables them to supplement the goats' feed by letting them graze on sainfoin or lucerne growing on grassland, depending on the feed obtained from rough grazing and the season.

Provence is a region where there is a tradition of using rennet to make cheese, in contrast to northern France, which has a ‘lactic’ tradition (slow curdling lasting approximately 24 hours). As early as in the 15th century, King René was offered ‘one of those small soft cheeses, from rennet’; the reference to rennet is clear.

The cheese-sieves traditionally used in Provence had large holes, indicating that the curd was rennet-based, as a lactic type of curd would leak out from such sieves.

In addition, the specific way of wrapping ‘Banon’ has a twofold objective: on the one hand, it helps preserve the cheese and, on the other, it is a method of production. It is a way of processing the fresh cheese which takes into account the need both to preserve the cheese and to improve it.

The product is processed principally by wrapping it in chestnut leaves. This process marks the transition from tomme to ‘Banon’. The leaves insulate the cheese from the air and serve as an adjuvant, so that the cheese can acquire its aromatic characteristics.

Although it would seem that the leaves of numerous species could be used for the cheese (the vine plant, the chestnut tree, the plane tree, the walnut tree, etc.), in fact chestnut leaves must be used because of their solid structure and the quality of their tannin.

The history of ‘Banon’ starts at the end of the 19th century. Working on land that had little agronomic potential, local farmers tried to use the area's meager natural resources to best advantage: they engaged in subsistence mixed farming on a few parcels of good land and collected wood, hunted for game and picked mushrooms, small fruit, truffles and lavender in the less cultivated areas of the forest or heath. In addition to having a pig and a small poultry yard, each family also raised a small domestic herd composed of ewes but also of a few goats. These are complementary animals both on the land, where they make the most of the heath and surrounding undergrowth, and in terms of their economic usefulness. Sheep were used for meat, while the purpose of the goat as the ‘poor man's cow’ was to produce milk. The milk was consumed by the family but was also processed into cheese, which was the only way of preserving its nutritive value for a longer period of time.

The cheese was intended mainly for home consumption and any commercial value came from production above and beyond the needs of the family. Surplus cheeses then started to be sold at local markets.

It was precisely Banon, the administrative centre of the canton and the geographical centre of the Lure and Albion regions, a crossroads between major communication routes that was the most important venue for cheese fairs and markets.

The first reference to wrapped tommes of goat's cheese with the name ‘Banon’ can be found in the book ‘Cuisinière provençale’, written by Marius Morard in 1886.

The post-war period saw the gradual introduction of new cheesemaking techniques. Goat herds became specialised and cheesemaking expanded beyond the home: while the cheese had formerly been produced first and foremost for the family's needs and secondarily for sale, now it began to be produced above all for sale, with any surpluses being consumed by the family.

According to J.M. Mariottini's study ‘A la Recherche d'un fromage: le “Banon” éléments d'histoire et d'ethnologie’, rennet has always been used in the production of ‘Banon’, and it remains one of the rare cheeses to be made using this technique.

‘Banon’ is a soft cheese made from raw, whole goat's milk. It is produced by rapid curdling (using rennet or soft curd). The matured cheese is entirely wrapped in natural brown chestnut leaves and tied up with six to twelve strands of natural raffia forming a radial pattern.

‘Banon’ is characterised by:

The geographic area is influenced by the Mediterranean. Its soils are not very fertile; they mainly contain chalk, which usually shows through at the surface and does not retain water. These factors have resulted in scrubland vegetation comprising heath with gorse, hawthorn, blackthorn, rock rose, juniper, lavender, savory, thyme as well as chestnut trees. It is an ideal environment for goat breeding and pastoralism.

The use of soft curd is necessary because of the prevailing climatic conditions (high temperatures and dryness). Without specific techniques it is impossible in this region to cool the milk and then keep it at a low temperature in order to allow lactic bacteria to work without the milk turning sour. Therefore the curdling, i.e. the coagulation, of the milk must be activated with rennet.

Wrapping the tommes of cheese helped provide food all year round, in particular in the long winter months when the goats did not give milk.

‘Banon’ results from the combination of all these factors: a poor environment suited to extensive goat breeding and made the most of by man, a hot and dry climate leading naturally to the use of renneted curd and a processing technique (wrapping) permitting the long-term preservation of the cheeses.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-3ab11b39-00cf-48f7-a2b3-ac5e71b90836

Sole Article

The application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014, including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Beurre d’Isigny’ (PDO) is contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to oppose to the amendment referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within three months from the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union.

ANNEX

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 amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘Beurre d'Isigny’

EU No: PDO-FR-0138-AM01 — 19.10.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Composition: The group is made up of milk producers and butter manufacturers. It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendments.

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

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

4.   Type of amendment(s)

5.   Amendment(s)

5.1.    ‘Description of product’ section

When the product specification was first registered in 1996, it covered both products: ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ and ‘Crème d'Isigny’; the section describing the product characteristics has now been amended to place the focus solely on ‘Beurre d'Isigny’.

Furthermore, the description of the colour of the product has been broadened to take account of seasonal variations in the dairy cows' diet, which affects the butter's colour. Instead of ‘buttercup yellow’, the colour is now defined as ranging ‘from ivory to buttercup yellow’. The description of the texture of the product as ‘smooth’ has been supplemented with the words ‘easily spreadable’. To better describe the product, the term ‘fragrant’, which is of little descriptive value, has been deleted. Instead, the product's scent is described as: ‘scents of fresh cream and hazelnuts’. It is also added that the butter ‘may be textured to make it suitable for lamination, so as to cater for all the product's potential uses’. This section also specifies that the butter ‘may be salted’ — which appears solely in the ‘Production method’ section of the current product specification. Lastly, the fat content of the two types of butter has been added: minimum 82 % fat for unsalted butter and 80 % fat for salted butter.

Thus the wording of the specification in force: ‘These two dairy products boast outstanding characteristics. Their natural colour is buttercup yellow. They are fragrant and have a smooth texture.’

has been replaced by:

This paragraph has also been added to point 3.2 of the single document, replacing the sentence in the summary which describes the product as ‘Butter with a natural buttercup yellow colour, as it is exceptionally rich in carotenoids.’

The reference to it ‘being exceptionally rich in carotenoids’ has also been included in the section on the causal link between the product specification and the single document, as the product description does not contain a target value for the butter's carotenoid content.

5.2.    ‘Geographical area’ section

The section of the product specification entitled ‘Definition of the geographical area’ sets out all the steps that take place in the geographical area. The names of the area's various municipalities have also been updated.

The purpose of these amendments is to clarify the various steps and update the list of the municipalities, without altering the boundaries of the geographical area.

The product must be packaged within the geographical area. Packaging must therefore take place as soon as possible after production, partly to avoid the butter deteriorating in quality due to oxidation of the butterfat (which often occurs if the product is transported for long periods) and partly to avoid fraud (adulteration through mixing the butter with cheaper alternatives). The document also specifies that any freezing/deep freezing has to take place within the geographical area of origin. The intention of this amendment is to improve traceability and guarantee that the steps to be carried out in the geographical area take place successively and without any undue interruption.

5.3.    ‘Proof of origin’ section

In the light of national legislative and regulatory developments, the text of the product specification under the heading ‘Evidence that the product originates from the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together provisions on declaration requirements and keeping registers for product traceability and monitoring production conditions.

New paragraphs have been therefore been added:

5.4.    ‘Method of production’ section

The product specification provides more details on a number of aspects of the production method so as to better describe the production conditions for the milk and for making it into ‘Beurre d'Isigny’. These aspects strengthen the link with the geographical area.

Provisions on the management of the dairy herd (breed, feed) have been added to enable the traditional practices to be recorded.

Herd management

The dairy herd is defined as follows:

This definition in the product specification aims to clearly set out what livestock is referred to when using the terms ‘dairy herd’ and ‘dairy cows’, thus providing a framework for checks and avoiding any confusion.

In order to establish the link between the product and the geographical area, the requirement that grass constitutes the herd's diet (whether through grazing or hay), in accordance with the local tradition in the geographical area of grassland-based livestock farming, has been ensured by the following provisions:

Breed

To ensure that a significant amount of the milk used to make ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ comes from cows of the Normande breed (this being a component of the link between the geographical area and the product), the following has been added:

To define the concept of ‘collection’ and specify how compliance with the provision will be monitored, the following has also been added:

These clarifications have also been made to point 3.3 of the single document.

The herd's diet

To establish the link between the product and the geographical area through the majority of the dairy cows' diet originating from the geographical area, it has been added that 80 % of the herd's basic ration must come from the area, and on average at least 40 % of that ration during the grazing period and at least 20 % of the daily ration during the rest of the year must consist of fresh grass or hay. In addition, a positive list of authorised fodder has been drawn up in order to better define the type of fodder used. The following provisions have therefore been added to the product specification:

These provisions on the herd's diet are also included under point 3.3 of the single document.

For dairy cows, the amount of supplementary feed provided is restricted to 1 800 kg, expressed as dry weight, per cow in the herd per calendar year. This is to avoid this feed constituting too large a proportion of the food supply, and to ensure that the basic ration comes from the geographical area.

The following paragraph has been added:

This provision has also been added to point 3.3 of the single document.

The product specification states that several products and raw materials may not be used to feed lactating cows, owing to their adverse impact on the organoleptic characteristics of the milk. The following paragraph has therefore been added:

‘The following may not be used in the basic ration or as supplementary feed: cabbage, turnip, turnip rape and rapeseed given as green-feed.

The following raw materials may not be used in supplementary feeding stuffs pursuant to the classification in Part C to Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials:

Lastly, urea and its derivatives, being nutritional additives defined in Annex 1 to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition, are prohibited.’

These elements are also referred to under point 3.3 of the single document.

To better describe current practices, two sections have been added, each referring to a different stage in the manufacture of the butter: ‘collection and receipt of the milk’ and ‘production and packaging’.

Collection and receipt of the milk

To avoid any deterioration in quality of the raw material on the farm, the time that the milk used to make ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ can be stored has been limited.

Furthermore, to improve traceability, no transhipment of milk may take place between the holdings and the plant where the butter is made.

Lastly, a parameter specifying the acidity of the raw milk has been added to guarantee that the raw material has not suffered any deterioration in quality.

Reference to these various aspects is made in the following provision:

The whole of this provision has been reiterated under point 3.3 of the single document.

Production and packaging

Skimming and pasteurisation

A section has been added concerning skimming and pasteurisation. It states that ‘the milk withdrawal period prior to skimming must last for no more than 48 hours following receipt’, in order to preserve the quality of the raw material.

The two pasteurisation stages which enable the product in question to be produced have been added as follows:

This provision will complement the statement in the existing product specification that ‘The milk and cream must be pasteurised’.

In addition, references to national legislative and regulatory requirements with regard to livestock and the milk and butter have been deleted.

Furthermore, a maximum period of time between finishing skimming of the milk and pasteurisation has been set to preserve the quality of the raw material: ‘The cream must be pasteurised within no more than 36 hours after finishing skimming’.

To define the types of cream that may be used to make ‘Beurre d'Isigny’, it is stated that ‘Cream to be used to make butter has a minimum fat content of 35 g per 100 g of product’.

As regards the various uses of the product at the time of skimming and pasteurisation, the following text has been added: ‘light cream, raw cream, sterilised cream and UHT cream may not be used to produce the butter’.

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

The list of substances that may not be used to make ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ has also been expanded by specifying that buttermilk may not be used, nor is it allowed to add any additives, processing aids or any other ingredient, with the exception of milk starter cultures.

The paragraph:

‘The following substances may not be used to produce or make “Beurre d'Isigny”:

has therefore been replaced by:

The provision stating that ‘all processes aimed at increasing the non-fat solid content, particularly through the incorporation of dairy starter cultures during working of the butter’ has been moved to the section entitled ‘Seeding and churning’; it restates and delineates the various stages involved in manufacturing the butter itself particularly the working (or churning) stage.

The provision that ‘up to 2 g of salt may be added for every 100 g of butter’ has also been moved to the section on ‘Seeding and churning’, and the limit of 2 g per 100 g has been removed in view of the fact that it is now stipulated in the general regulations.

Seeding and churning

A section has also been created to separate the instructions for seeding from those on churning. It mentions specifically that the seeding of the cream with lactic cultures takes place ‘in the plant where the butter is made’ within 48 hours of finishing skimming the milk. It has also been added that no more than 72 hours may elapse between the receipt of the milk and the seeding of the cream with lactic cultures.

The method of producing the butter is also described in greater detail, adding that this is done through the churning of seeded and matured cream (in a butter-making machine or churn), the resultant grains of butter being worked and, where appropriate, washed, and the finished butter having to have a pH of no more than 6.

Reducing the pH of the butter by any process other than biological maturation is prohibited. Addition of concentrated lactic acid permeate and aromatic yeast during the butter making process (the NIZO process) is also explicitly forbidden. The option of adding up to 2 g of salt per 100 g of butter has also been deleted, given that this has been included in the general regulations.

The section of the product specification on ‘Seeding and churning’ therefore reads as follows:

As regards ‘texturing’, it is stated that ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ may undergo texturing to make it more suitable for use by bakers and pastry chefs:

This operation is necessary, as the melting point of the butter varies considerably depending on the season: it is softer in summer and harder in winter. Differences in the melting points stem from differences in the fatty acid composition of the butterfat content. Processing the butter reduces this variation, ensuring a more uniform consistency throughout the year. This transformation of the texture of the butter makes it eminently suitable for use in lamination. Such treatment does not alter the taste of the butter in any way. The butter was already being processed in this way when the PDO ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ was registered, but this fact had not been included in the product specification registered. Bakery and patisserie products enable all the qualities of the PDO ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ to find another form of expression.

Details of the packaging process are provided in order to lay down certain practices. A mention has been added that the butter, packaged as a unit of between 1 kg and a maximum 25 kg, may be frozen or deep-frozen for a maximum of 12 months. The butter must be frozen or deep-frozen no later than 10 days after the texturing stage (for textured butter) or no later than 30 days after manufacture (for non-textured butter). In such cases, the butter must be kept at a temperature between -18 °C and -23 °C.

Freezing the butter packaged in 1 kg sheets and in containers of more than 10 kg caters for the needs of certain firms operating in the food industry (bakeries, pastry manufacturers and biscuit manufacturers, etc.), which require butter with a consistency that confers certain specific characteristics required for their production processes. Freezing or deep-freezing for up to 12 months does not alter the butter's organoleptic characteristics. This standard practice, widely used in the dairy industry, has indeed proven its usefulness for conserving and preserving organoleptic qualities.

As regards packaging the butter, a specification has been added stating that the maximum unit of sale is 25 kg. This provision is in keeping with the tradition of packaging ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ in large containers (such as 20 to 200 litre wooden tubs, used in the 18th and 19th centuries). Butter may, however, be transported in heavier packaging units from one butter-making plant to another within the geographical area.

The relevant provision in the product specification is as follows:

These rules have been partly reiterated under point 3.5 of the single document, ‘Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers’.

5.5.    Link

The section of the product specification entitled ‘Link to the geographical area’ has been entirely rewritten to make the link between ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ and its geographical area more explicit, without making any fundamental changes. The milk production conditions have been specifically highlighted, especially the fact the cows' diet being based on the optimal use of grass, together with a long grazing period, makes it possible to achieve the milk fat content suitable for making ‘Beurre d'Isigny’, a process which requires skill and experience. We are taking this opportunity to delete the reference to ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ being rich in oleic acid, as it is not considered to be sufficiently specific.

The point on the ‘Specificity of the geographical area’ restates the geographical area's natural and human factors, summarising historical aspects and highlighting relevant specific know-how.

The point on the ‘Specificity of the product’ showcases some of the elements introduced in the description of the product.

Finally, the point ‘Causal link’ explains the interactions between the natural and human factors and the product.

The link referred to in the PDO's product specification is comprehensively reiterated under point 5 of the single document.

5.6.    Labelling

To clarify the aspects that enable consumers to identify the product:

The provision prohibiting using the words ‘Isigny’ or ‘Isigny-sur-mer’ or any other word, graphic or illustration evoking that area to refer to products not meeting the conditions laid down in the product specification has been removed, as this is not relevant to the product specification.

The paragraphs:

have been replaced by:

This change has also been made under point 3.6 of the single document, ‘Specific rules applicable to the labelling of the product to which the designation refers’.

5.7.    ‘Other’ section

In the section on the ‘Competent authority of the Member State’, the address of the INAO has been updated.

In the section on the ‘Requesting group’, the contact details of the group have been updated.

In the section of the product specification on ‘References to the inspection body’, the name and contact details of the official bodies have been updated. Under this heading, the contact details of the French authorities responsible for inspections at the national level 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 be consulted via the website of the INAO and in the European Commission's database.

A section on ‘National requirements’ has been added to the product specification. It sets out in a table the main points to check, their reference values and the evaluation method.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Beurre d'Isigny’

EU No: PDO-FR-0138-AM01 — 19.10.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Beurre d'Isigny’

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

The natural colour of ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ ranges from ivory to buttercup yellow. Its smooth texture makes it easily spreadable. The butter often has scents of fresh cream and hazelnuts. It may be textured to make it suitable for lamination and it may be salted.

The unsalted butter has a fat content of over 82 %, whereas the fat content for salted butter is over 80 %.

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

To guarantee a close link between the locality and the product through the herd being fed on grass from the geographical area, the dairy cows graze for at least seven months of the year and the holding must have a minimum area under grass of 0,35 ha for each dairy cow milked, of which a minimum of 0,2 ha is accessible from the milking parlour, or a minimum of 0,1 ha of grassland is accessible from the milking parlour with grass or hay provided as supplementary fodder. Each holding must have a main forage area comprising at least 50 % grass.

The entirety of the dairy cows' diet cannot be sourced from the geographical area. Indeed, the dairy cows' protein requirements cannot always be sourced from land cultivated within the geographical area. Neither can the origin of the raw materials constituting the supplementary feed be guaranteed. At least 80 % of the fodder-based basic ration, expressed as dry matter, of the herd per year is produced within the geographical area. Given that the basic ration comprises around 70 % of the dairy cows' total diet, the proportion of feed originating from the area can be estimated as at least approximately 56 %.

Grass in its different forms comprises at least 40 % on average of the basic ration during the minimum 7-month-long grazing period and at least 20 % of the daily ration for the rest of the year. The amount of supplementary feed provided is restricted to 1 800 kg per cow in the herd per calendar year.

The types of authorised fodder are: grass, corn, cereals or protein crops that are immature (the entire plant), straw and lucerne (fresh or preserved), fodder beet, root vegetables and dehydrated beet pulp.

Cabbage, turnip, turnip rape and rapeseed given as green-feed and urea and its derivatives may not form part of the basic ration or supplementary feed.

The following raw materials may not form part of supplementary feed:

Milk from each collection used by the manufacturer to make ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ must come from herds where at least 30 % of the cows are dairy cows of the Normande breed, ‘collection’ being defined as the total amount of milk collected and used by a manufacturer within a 48-hour period.

Collection takes place a maximum of 48 hours after the first milking. The milk collected on the holdings is transported and unloaded at the site where the milk is skimmed without transhipment. Upon receipt, the acidity of the raw milk must be between 14 and 16° Dornic, i.e. a pH of between 6,6 and 6,85.

Cream used to make the butter must have a minimum fat content of 35 g per 100 g of product. Light cream, raw cream, sterilised cream and UHT cream may not be used to produce the butter.

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

The milk is produced and the butter made within the geographical area described in point 4.

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

Any freezing of the butter and packaging have to take place within the geographical area.

Packaging the butter is extremely important for ensuring the quality of the product, as butterfat is susceptible to oxidation. The product must therefore be packaged immediately after manufacture. The product is therefore packaged within the defined geographical area referred to under point 4 in sales units no larger than 25 kg.

The butter may be frozen or deep-frozen for a maximum of 12 months, on condition that it is packaged in units of between 1 and 25 kg. The product is frozen at most 10 days after manufacture in the case of textured butter, or at most 30 days after manufacture in the case of non-textured butter.

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

Each pack of PDO ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ cheese sold must bear an individual label that includes the name of the designation of origin written in letters at least two thirds the size of the largest characters on the label.

A logo bearing the words ‘Beurre d'Isigny — Appellation d'Origine Protégée’ must be affixed to or printed on the wrappers or containers; it is the operator's responsibility to ensure this is done.

The European Union's PDO symbol is placed right next to the logo, the one adjacent to or above the other, with no other information separating them. The minimum dimensions of the designation of origin do not apply to the logo if the designation can already be found elsewhere on the labelling

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area covers the territory of all the municipalities of the following departments:

In the Department of Calvados (82 municipalities):

All the municipalities in the canton of Bayeux with the exception of Chouain, Condé-sur-Seulles, Ellon, Esquay-sur-Seulles, Juaye-Mondaye, Le Manoir, Manvieux, Ryes, Tracy-sur-Mer, Vaux-sur-Seulles and Vienne-en-Bessin.

All the municipalities in the canton of Trévières with the exception of La Bazoque, Cahagnolles, Cormolain, Foulognes, Litteau, Planquery, Sainte-Honorine-de-Drucy and Sallen.

In the Department of La Manche (93 municipalities):

In the canton of Agon-Coutainville, the municipalities of Auxais, Feugères, Gonfreville, Gorges, Marchésieux, Nay, Périers, Raids, Saint-Germain-sur-Sèves, Saint-Martin-d'Aubigny and Saint-Sébastien-de-Raids.

In the canton of Bricquebec, the municipalities of Etienville, Les Moitiers-en-Bauptois and Orglandes.

All of the municipalities in the canton of Carentan-les-Marais.

In the canton of Créances, the municipalities of Montsenelle (solely the territories of the former municipalities of Coigny, Prétot-Sainte-Suzanne and Saint-Jores) and Le Plessis-Lastelle.

All the municipalities in the canton of Pont-Hébert, with the exception of Bérigny, Saint-André-de-l'Epine, Saint-Georges-d'Elle, Saint-Germain-d'Elle and Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly.

All the municipalities in the canton of Saint-Lô-1, with the exception of Agneaux, Le Lorey, Marigny-Le-Lozon (solely the territory of the former commune of Lozon), Le Mesnil-Amey, Saint-Gilles and Saint-Lô.

All the municipalities of the canton of Valognes, with the exception of Brix, Huberville, Lestre, Lieusaint, Montaigu-la-Brisette, Saint-Germain-de-Tournebut, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Martin-d'Audouville, Saussemesnil, Tamerville, Valognes, Vaudreville and Yvetot-Bocage.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The geographical area of production of ‘Beurre d'Isigny’ is crescent-shaped, situated on sedimentary terrain and at a low altitude (< 50 m). This area, known as the Col du Cotentin, constitutes a remarkable geological area sculpted by multiple marine transgressions and regressions. Within that area, a distinction is made between the ‘Bas Pays’, consisting of large tidelands and alluvial marshes which, although drained, may flood, and, to the east, the ‘Haut Pays’, a landscape characterised by hedgerows, consisting of a plateau, limestone blocks and low clay and stony hills. The high quantities of marine alluvial deposits (coastal sediment deposited by the English Channel) and fluvial deposits, mainly confined to the Baie des Veys and its associated river valleys, constitute the key characteristics of the soil.

Receiving around 800 mm of precipitation and having more than 170 days of rainfall evenly spread throughout the year, as well as cool summer temperatures and mild winters and more restricted temperature ranges than Saint-Lô or Caen, the Col du Cotentin is referred to as having a temperate oceanic climate. Owing to the absence of hills, this humid, foggy and mild climate is homogeneous. The influence of the ocean can also be seen in the prevalence of spray coming off the sea and condensing on the pastures.

The Col du Cotentin is one of the areas of Normandy with a high concentration of pastureland that predates the trend of converting arable land to pasture, which started in 1800. Livestock farmers made the Isigny region a pastoral area of some prestige; in 1874, the Association Normande described it as possessing ‘rich pastures, veritable fountains of cream and butter’.

From the mid-19th century, Cotentin Peninsula livestock farmers began defending the purity of the Cotentine breed of cattle which, primarily because of its milk production capacity, ended up becoming the main source of the Normande breed. However, this status of ‘the origin of the breed’ penalises local breeders who have been slow to benefit from progress in artificial insemination and hence are reverting to using the productive and homogenous Prim'Holstein breed.

The population of the Col du Contentin quickly learnt to benefit from the dairy herd's optimal use of grass by making the most of the milk to make and sell butter.

Today, grazing once again forms the basis of the dairy cows' diet; they graze on grass for at least seven months and consume it as hay the rest of the year. The predilection of producers for the Normande breed, an excellent butter producer owing to its milk being rich in fats and proteins, has enabled it to survive in the geographical area and make up a significant proportion of the local herd.

The production technique depends on: ensuring the milk stays fresh by maintaining a cool temperature from the cowshed to the butter-making plant; the regularity of milk collections; natural maturation coupled with controlling the fermentation through pasteurisation; and then seeding the milk with lactic cultures; skimming and, finally, churning.

‘Beurre d'Isigny’ is smooth and easily spreadable. After texturing, it is firm and malleable, neither fatty nor sticky, and not friable. It has a homogenous ivory colour in winter and is buttercup yellow during the grazing season, and has aromas that are reminiscent of fresh cream. Its delicate flavour may also contain hints of hazelnuts.

The geographical location (proximity to the sea) and morphology (absence of hills) of the geographical area explains why rainfall is evenly spread throughout the year and temperatures are favourably mild even in winter. These elements are favourable to the growth of grass throughout the year and a long grazing period for the animals. The clay-limestone soil, derived from recent marine sediments and rich in minerals, produce an abundance of pasture, whereas the loamy soils surmounting the ‘Haut Pays’ are noteworthy for their regulation of the water content, which favours regular grass growth.

The quality of the fat content of the milk from the geographical area is produced by the combined effect of the cows being grass-fed, which gives the PDO product its specific organoleptic qualities and expected smoothness, and the supply of fodder with a higher energy value, which promotes the formation of large fat globules; these enable the fixation of the milk's aromatic compounds conferred by the grass.

‘Beurre d'Isigny’ is therefore characterised by an optimal use of the area's grassland, along with a long grazing period for the dairy herd, and the provision of preserved feed during the winter in conjunction with other types of feed. Transporting fodder from the ‘Bas-Pays’ to the ‘Haut-Pays’ and its preservation is a traditional practice locally, because the farms were generally located in the ‘Haut-Pays’, while also having pasture in the ‘Bas-Pays’.

It is the diet of the herds, which are partly composed of Normande cows, that results in high-quality milk with the high fat content that gives the product its superbly smooth texture.

In addition, the presence of carotenoids in the lush grass of the region's pastures is conducive to the butter having a natural buttercup yellow colour during the grazing season.

The continuation of traditional butter-making techniques, i.e. not adding flavouring or lactic acid and using naturally matured cream and churning, is the key to expressing the characteristics of the raw material produced by the dairy herds in the final product. The products' success can also be explained by the close commercial relations with a network of dairies across France, the restaurant trade in the region, and export markets.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-ba1010a1-bc3a-4468-a1d2-7578d8fd5494