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16.2.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union
L
43/1
II
(Non-legislative acts)
REGULATIONS
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 129/2012
of 13 February 2012
approving minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected
designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Queso Manchego (PDO))
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(3) The
Commission
has
examined
the
amendment
in
question and decided that it is justified. Since this
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
concerns a minor amendment, in accordance with
Union,
Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the
Commission may adopt it without using the procedure
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of
set out in Articles 5, 6 and 7 of that Regulation,
20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications
and designations of origin for agricultural products and
foodstuffs (
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

1 ), and in particular the second sentence of
Article 9(2) thereof,
Whereas:
Article 1

The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Queso
(1) In
accordance
with
the
first
subparagraph
of
Article
9(1) Manchego’ is hereby amended in accordance with Annex I to
and Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the
this Regulation.
Commission has examined Spain’s application for the
approval of amendments to the specification for the
protected designation of origin ‘Queso Manchego’,
Article 2
registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No
1107/96 (
The consolidated single document setting out the main points

2 ), as amended by Commission Regulation
(EC) No 561/2009 (
of the specification is set out in Annex II to this Regulation.

3 ).
(2) The
application
concerns
the
amendments
to
the
method
Article 3
of production of the protected designation of origin
‘Queso Manchego’ and involves changes to the single
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
document.
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 13 February 2012.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Dacian CIOLO
Member of the Commission
( 1 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
( 2 ) OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1.
( 3 ) OJ L 166, 27.6.2009, p. 36.

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L 43/2
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
16.2.2012
ANNEX I
The following amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Queso Manchego’ have been
approved:
Raw materials
With regard to the analytical characteristics of the milk, the reference parameters have been updated as a result of the
series of tests carried out by the official laboratory, the centre to which the samples collected on the farms are sent.
Lactose content and density will no longer be determined as they do not affect the quality of the finished product and
their analysis was based on a production method which no longer reflects the developments which have taken place on
farms.
However, the acidity of the milk is measured by determining the pH level and not in Dornic grades, and a change to this
effect is being made in the specifications.
Additionally, as a result of technological progress made in the production industries, the process is carried out with a
greater level of control in terms of the key parameters for final quality, and therefore the earlier version has become
obsolete in terms of some of the stages of production.
The following part is being amended correspondingly:
Part E – Obtaining the product
At the ‘cutting of the curd’ stage, the size of the curd grains obtained when the curd is cut is no longer specified, this
being considered a criterion which each industry must establish depending on the process it uses. The curd must have the
right consistency for ensuring correct draining in accordance with the type of cheese produced and this is not determined
by specifying the exact size of the grain, but by means of checks carried out as part of the production system and the
experience of the producer.
The ‘pressing’ stage includes the time needed for pressing, which in the current specification is included in the stage of
removal from the mould, which is incorrect. A pressing time of between 1 and 6 hours is specified. This period of time
for pressing has changed in relation to the time initially established as a result of the technological advances made in the
pressing system, which no longer requires such long periods which have a negative effect on the smaller-sized product.
This period is defined as being suitable for the various sizes of product and the various models of press and allows the
operator to decide the best time for the product to be removed from the mould and to move to the salting stage, which
will be determined not by the number of hours taken, but by measuring pH, which is the indicative value for the state of
the product.
The ‘maturation and preservation’ stages have been combined into a single stage called ‘maturation’ and the preservation
stage has been eliminated as maturation is not interrupted when the product is in the preservation chambers, in other
words maturation continues throughout the product’s lifetime and it continues to mature provided that it is kept at the
right controlled temperature and relative humidity. Therefore the stages have been combined, with the temperature set at
between 3 °C and 16 °C and the humidity between 75 % and 90 %.
For the temperature, the minimum value has been increased from 1 °C to 3 °C, which is a more suitable temperature for
maintaining the product and guarantees the necessary health requirements, given that at 1 °C the product may deteriorate.
As for the maximum value, 16 °C is given as a reference value in order to ensure the optimal maturation of the product
and its development in terms of its organoleptic characteristics.
The humidity range is an overall value which covers the two stages.

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EN
16.2.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union
L
43/3
ANNEX II
SINGLE DOCUMENT
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006
‘QUESO MANCHEGO’
EC No: ES-PDO-0217-0087-06.12.2010
PGI ( ) PDO ( X )
1. Name
‘Queso Manchego’
2. Member
State
Spain
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 point 1 applies
Pressed cheese made from milk of ewes of the ‘Manchega’ breed, aged for a minimum of 30 days for cheeses
weighing up to 1,5 kg and from 60 days up to a maximum of 2 years for larger cheeses.
‘Queso Manchego’ can be made with either pasteurised or raw milk. In the latter case, the label may bear the word
‘Artesano’.
‘Queso Manchego’ is a fat cheese with the following physical properties after ageing:
— shape: cylindrical with smooth sides,
— maximum height: 12 cm,
— maximum diameter: 22 cm,
— diameter/height ratio: between 1,5 and 2,2,
— minimum weight: 0,4 kg,
— maximum weight: 4,0 kg.
The physico-chemical properties of the cheese are:
— pH 4,8 to 5,8,
— dry matter: minimum 55 %,
— fat content: minimum 50 % of the dry matter,
— total protein in dry matter: minimum 30 %,
— sodium chloride: maximum 2,3 %.
Characteristics of the paste:
— consistency: firm and compact,
— colour: from white to ivory-yellow,
— aroma: lactic, intensely acidic and persistent, developing spicy notes and long overall persistence in cheeses that
have been well aged,
— flavour: slightly acidic, strong and flavoursome, becoming spicy in cheeses that have been well aged. Pleasant and
distinctive aftertaste produced by the milk of ewes of the ‘Manchega’ breed,
— appearance: small, unevenly distributed eyes, although these are sometimes not present,
— texture: low elasticity, buttery, slightly floury; can become granular in very well-aged cheeses.

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L 43/4
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
16.2.2012
The microbiological limits are as follows:
— Escherichia coli: maximum of 1 000 colonies/gram,
— Staphylococcus aureus: maximum of 100 colonies/gram,
— salmonella: absence in 25 grams,
— listeria: absence in 25 grams.
The cheese is slightly acidic, strong and flavoursome, with the flavour becoming spicy in cheeses that have been well
aged. Pleasant and distinctive aftertaste produced by the milk of ewes of the ‘Manchega’ breed.
3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)
‘Queso Manchego’ cheese is made from milk of ewes of the ‘Manchega’ breed, natural rennet or other authorised
coagulation enzymes and sodium chloride.
The milk must not contain any medicinal products that may have a negative impact on production, maturation and
preservation of the cheese.
‘Queso Manchego’ can be made with either pasteurised or raw milk. In the latter case, the label may bear the word
‘Artesano’.
The analytical characteristics of the cheese are as follows:
— fat content: 6,5 % minimum,
— proteins: 4,5 % minimum,
— useable dry matter: 11 % minimum,
— pH: 6,5-7,
— freezing point: ≤ – 0,550 °C.
3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)
Manchega sheep graze throughout the year on the natural resources of the area. When in the fold, their diet is
supplemented with concentrated feed, hay and by-products.
As regards sheepfarming, mention should be made of the pastures that occupy the clearings in the scrub. This
annual pasture is composed of Medicago minima, Scorpiurus subvillosa, Astragalus stella, Astragalus sesamus, etc.
The so-called ‘madajales’ are the most valuable pasture for sheep. These are composed of bulbous meadow grass and
significant quantities of legumes, such as Medicago rigidula, Medicago lupulina, Medicago trunculata, Trigonella polyderata,
Coronilla scorpoides, etc.
Deep, cooler soils can produce ‘fenelares’, dense pasture with a predominance of perennial and biennial plants, the
appearance of which is dominated by the grass Bracnypodium phoenicoides.
3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area
—
3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.
Cheeses protected by the ‘Queso Manchego’ Designation of Origin may be dispatched and placed into circulation by
dairies and registered undertakings only in packaging of a type that does not affect their quality.
‘Queso Manchego’ is always marketed with the rind, which may have been washed.
‘Queso Manchego’ may also be coated in paraffin, covered with legally authorised inactive transparent substances or
dipped in olive oil, provided that the rind maintains its natural colour and appearance and the casein label can be
read.
Under no circumstances may substances be used that turn the rind black.
‘Queso Manchego’ may be marketed in portions, sliced or grated, provided that it is packaged and its origin can be
identified. This operation may be carried out outside the area of origin by undertakings that have accepted and
comply with the agreed protocol so as to guarantee the operations undergone by ‘Queso Manchego’ and ensure its
traceability.
Packaging must comply with current legislation.

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EN
16.2.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union
L
43/5
3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling
Labels must bear the following wording: ‘Denominación de Origen “Queso Manchego” ’ (‘Queso Manchego’ Desig
nation of Origin). When the cheese is made with raw milk, this can be indicated on the label by means of the word
‘Artesano’.
The marketed product bears a numbered secondary label issued by the Regulatory Board and affixed in registered
undertakings in such a way that it cannot be reused and every piece of ‘Queso Manchego’ has on one of its faces a
casein label with a serial number, affixed at the moulding and pressing stage.
4. Concise
definition
of
the
geographical
area
The following local authority areas are covered by the ‘Queso Manchego’ Designation of Origin: 45 in the Province
of Albacete, 84 in the Province of Ciudad Real, 156 in the Province of Cuenca and 122 in the Province of Toledo.
The following areas have been incorporated: Alcoba de los Montes and El Robledo in the Province of Ciudad Real,
Albadalejo del Cuende, Villarejo de la Peuela, Villarejo-Sobrehuerta and Villar del Horno in the Province of Cuenca.
5. Link
with
the
geographical
area
5.1. Specificity of the geographical area
The geographical area of La Mancha is located in the southern part of the central plateau of the peninsula and is
characterised by a low relief descending to the Atlantic.
La Mancha is a high plain with lime-clay soils and its pastureland has lime- and loam-rich substrates.
The area has an extreme climate and experiences wide variations characteristic of a continental climate, with very
cold winters and hot summers. The temperature occasionally reaches 40 °C, sometimes varying by 20 °C over the
course of a day and 50 °C over the year. Precipitation is scant, making the region one of the more arid areas of
Spain, its extremely dry environment having a relative humidity of around 65 %.
The Manchega breed is the best adapted to the area’s soil and weather conditions.
5.2. Specificity of the product
A pressed cheese with a hard rind and a firm and compact paste, a colour that varies from white to ivory-yellow, an
intense and persistent aroma, a slightly acidic, strong and flavoursome taste and a buttery, slightly floury texture with
low elasticity.
5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the
reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
The area’s soil and climatic conditions have had a great influence on the processes of natural selection that have
made the Manchega breed of sheep the breed best adapted to the area and producing a milk that gives ‘Queso
Manchego’ its characteristic colour, aroma, flavour and texture.
Cheese has been made with milk from ewes of the Manchega breed since time immemorial and over the centuries
manufacturing techniques have aimed to optimise the qualities of this traditional La Mancha cheese.
Reference to publication of the specification
(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
http://docm.jccm.es/portaldocm/descargarArchivo.do?ruta=2009/10/20/pdf/2010_17415.pdf&tipo=rutaDocm

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Document Outline

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